A Tense Situation
by Sci-Fi Nut
Summary: Voldemort is on a mission to expose the traitors within his ranks. Suspecting Severus, he assigns the Potions Master a task that would prove his loyalty to the Dark once and for all. Unfortunately it is a task that would have irreversible consequences f
1. Prologue

Summary: Voldemort is on a mission to expose the traitors within his ranks.  Suspecting Severus, he assigns the Potions Master a task that would prove his loyalty to the Dark once and for all.  Unfortunately it is a task that would have irreversible consequences for Harry Potter and his friends…

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Prologue~

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for once again failing to follow orders and an additional ten for erroneously assuming that your assistance is indispensable," Severus Snape snapped tiredly.  "Class dismissed."

The dark haired man watched silently as the students quickly gathered their possessions and exited the classroom.  The smallest glimmer of amusement crossed his face as he decided that 'fled' would be a more accurate description for the Gryffindor students that had opted to take seventh year potions.  _'Two more weeks and this particular nightmare will be_ _over.'_  The realization that the seventh year students would soon be leaving Hogwarts forever had been the only bright spot in his day thus far. "And good riddance to the Fantastic Three," he groused, referring to the infamous trio of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. 

Entering the room that housed his personal stores, he reached for the tiny blue vial that would provide much needed relief from the nagging headache that had plagued him since the previous night.  Since the Dark Lord's return Snape had faced various forms of tests designed to prove his loyalty to Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters. While Severus didn't doubt that the Dark Lord was attempting to weed out potential traitors, he knew that such methods of inquisition amused the snake-like figure to no end. Last night had been the all too familiar bout of Cruciatus followed by assorted hexes from his brethren. As usual he had passed the tests by remaining silent and allowing the Dark Lord to rifle through his mind in an effort to assure himself of the Potions Master's unswerving loyalty.  Fortunately Snape's own formidable powers and familiarity with such techniques ensured that Voldemort would see only those images that would assure his continued placement within the Inner Circle. However the cost to his physical well being had been uncomfortable to say the least. Voldemort's skills were extensive and the ability to resist the intrusive probing was not without considerable effort. A derisive laugh escaped Severus' lips as he thought of the consequences should the Dark Lord realize the extent to which his carefully cast Legilimens was being blocked and redirected. 

Downing the contents of the vial in one swallow, the Professor returned to his desk to begin the tedious task of grading papers.  He was thankful he didn't have another class until later that afternoon.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"He's just utterly impossible!" the brown haired girl seethed, tossing her bulging book bag on a nearby table in the Gryffindor common room.  "I mean honestly, if I hadn't stopped Neville from adding the powdered dragon's nail before he added the essence of newt then we all would have been blown to pieces but does he even have the decency to acknowledge that fact?"

Harry Potter had just opened his mouth to reply when Hermione, his long time friend, interrupted his intentions by continuing with her latest tirade.

"Of course he doesn't!" she said, vehemently answering her own question.  Crossing her arms directly in front of her chest, she stood to her tallest height and lifted an eyebrow in a fairly decent imitation of Hogwart's resident Potions Master.  "That will be ten points for assuming your assistance is indispensable…  Oh, the nerve of him!  I should have stood back and let Neville add the dragon's nail and then I wouldn't have had to worry about him deducting house points ever again."

"That's one way to ensure we don't lose so many points on account of Slytherin," Ron Weasley murmured with a wry grin. 

"What do you expect 'Mione?" Harry asked, absently rubbing his forehead.  "It's Snape.  He's been like this for the past seven years and he'll be like this until the day he dies. Probably even then too."

"Which should certainly liven Hell up a bit, don't you think?" Ron remarked, popping a Chocolate Frog into his mouth. 

Seeing that his friend's temper was still running dangerously high, Harry walked over to her and pulled her into a quick hug.  "Look at it this way," he told her with a smile, "At least he didn't give you detention."

"Only because he doesn't want to see me anymore than I want to see him!" she replied hotly. She was about to continue her grumbling but quickly stopped when she saw Harry double over in pain.

"Harry!" Ron was immediately at his friend's side, his concern apparent. 

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked. A loud gasp escaped her lips when she pulled his hands away from his forehead and noticed the inflamed scar that stood out so noticeably against the pale pallor of his forehead.  "Is it Voldemort?"

"He's very angry about something but I don't know what," the Boy-Who-Lived managed to explain before once again crying out in pain.

"Ron, maybe we should get him to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested, her brow creased with worry.  

"No!" Harry exclaimed. Suddenly the world around him began to take on a fuzzy, disorienting quality, as a vortex of darkness seemed to open before him.  It was the last thing he saw before falling to the ground, oblivious to his surroundings. 

"Ron, go and get Professor Dumbledore and tell him what has happened.  I'll wait here with Harry so that he's not alone when he wakes up."

"You don't think he's… I mean, he is going to be okay isn't he?" the young man asked, casting a worried glance at his friend.  

"He has just passed out," Hermione answered matter-of-factly, pulling out her wand and levitating the unconscious figure of her friend to rest comfortably on the sofa.  "Hurry, Ron."

A flash of red hair disappeared through the portal and Hermione was left alone watching anxiously over her friend.  "Oh Harry," she whispered quietly, "It must really be bad if it's having this drastic of an effect on you."

Her only answer was the silence of the room as she watched the unconscious form of her friend for any signs of change to his present condition. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Another prodigious failure," Snape muttered, dipping his quill in the pot of blood red ink on his desk.  He had just begun to mark a particularly large "F" on the parchment when an unusually strong searing pain shot through his left forearm. He barely noticed the quill fall from his hand and flutter to the desk as his fingers clenched and unclenched in response to the pain. Nor was he truly aware of the puddle of red ink pooling on his desk: Ink that had been knocked over as his hand instinctively reached to cover the pulsating shape of the Dark Mark. Muttering an oath that was unfit for human ears, he unsteadily made his way to his private chambers and tossed a handful of floo powder into the oversized fireplace.  

"Albus Dumbledore," he hissed while muttering a quick _Accio_ to summon his Death Eater garments to him.  The Dark Lord rarely called Snape during the day knowing that he had classes to teach and a cover to maintain.  Whatever was going on, the Potions Master knew that it wouldn't be good, especially given the level of pain he was currently facing courtesy of the Dark Mark and the fiend that controlled it.

It was but a moment before the familiar face of the Headmaster appeared within the green flames.  "Severus?"  Dumbledore queried with concern as he took in the younger man's obvious distress.

"I must go," Snape said quickly while donning his robes.  "Voldemort is summoning me."

"You were just summoned last night," the Headmaster replied, a worried expression clearly visible in his usually bright eyes. "Do you have any idea why you are being called again so soon?"

"No but whatever the reason, the Dark Lord is very angry and I must leave immediately." He bit back a cry of anguish as another particularly painful sensation streaked through his arm. 

"I understand. I'm releasing the wards so that you may Disapparate directly from your chambers. It will save time and perhaps mollify Tom in some small way." A mere second later Severus saw the elderly Wizard's mouth move as he quietly spoke an incantation that would momentarily dismantle the Apparition wards surrounding the castle.  "Good luck, my friend.  I will await your return."

"Thank you, Albus," Severus answered with a small bow of his head, wondering if returning to Hogwarts, preferably alive, would be a luxury the Dark Lord would allow him.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  My many thanks to Ozratbag2 for playing the part of Beta and lending her incredible talent to this chapter!  Also, this story is in response to the 'Cold Shoulder' challenge (created by runninoutofreasons132) at WIKTT.  For those of you interested in reading up on the rules of the challenge, please go to the WIKTT website where you will find this challenge listed in the Files Section under Fanfiction / Challenges.     

~Jules


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter One~

Albus Dumbledore sighed heavily as he removed his half moon spectacles and rubbed his weary eyes.  How he hated sending his friend and colleague into such a dangerous situation! The reality that he may have just seen Severus Snape for the last time wasn't lost upon him and it was yet another item to add to his already overly burdened conscience. 

He frowned as he studied the lenses in his spectacles and noticed the slight spattering of dust particles that rested quietly on the surface.  Lifting wrinkled fingers, he softly grasped a small portion of his brocade-encrusted robes and gently dabbed at the lenses until the dust was no more.  _'Funny how you don't seem to notice something so small when it sits so very close before your eyes,'_ he mused and sighed yet again as he realized what an accurate depiction of life in general his little thought offered.  

Absently stroking the fiery plumage of the proud Phoenix resting quietly on its perch, the Headmaster thought back to the days when Voldemort had attended Hogwarts.  _'Of course he was Tom Riddle then…' _Still, he wondered if there might not have been something he could have said or done to change the eventual path of destruction on which the young man would soon embark.  He remembered the anger that always seemed to lurk behind the eyes of the Slytherin and the ease in which the boy used his charm and natural ability with words to persuade others to do his bidding.  _'Perhaps if I had taken more time, directed his interests to more worthwhile pursuits…' _He shook his head sadly, knowing that it was far too late for recriminations and thoughts of what might have been.  The truth of the matter was that the young boy that was once Tom Riddle had enjoyed the darker side of life just as the adult that had become Voldemort enjoyed it now.  The Headmaster only hoped that Severus would be able to counter whatever had happened to raise such unexpected anger in the former student, without it costing the Potions Master his life.  

The elderly Wizard's thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise just outside the entrance to his office. Faster than he could have said 'Fizzing Whizbees' the lanky form of Ronald Weasley came bursting through the door followed by a very aggravated looking Minerva McGonagall.

"Prof…Professor Dumbledore," the red haired Gryffindor panted, clearly out of breath as a result of his haste to reach the Headmaster. "Harry… common room… scar… hurting… passed out… have to come… quickly..."

The Deputy Headmistress' eyes widened upon hearing the boy's disjointed explanation and she looked to the Headmaster in concern. She had been dismayed by Ron's behavior just moments before when the youngster ran past her in the hallway and had failed to either slow down or offer an explanation for his uncharacteristic display. Unhappy with the concept of being ignored and determined to deduct house points as a result of such an obvious disregard for school rules, she had hastily followed. It was with more than a little trepidation that she ascended the staircase to the Headmaster's office after realizing young Mr. Weasley's true destination. 

"Mr. Weasley…" she began but was quickly hushed as Dumbledore raised his arm in a gesture that clearly signaled his desire for silence.  

"Please, Mr. Weasley, take a moment to catch your breath so that we may understand what has taken place that has so obviously unsettled you," the Headmaster told the boy in a calm yet authoritative tone of voice. 

Ron managed a quick nod and allowed himself a brief moment of rest as his lungs gratefully took in several large bursts of air.  Although his recent years of Quidditch training had conditioned his body to vigorous activity, it still was not accustomed to sprints through the corridors of Hogwarts at breakneck speeds.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was actually less than a minute, he looked at the Headmaster and delivered his message. 

"Professor Dumbledore, it's Harry," he began and the earnestness of his voice left no doubt in either adult's mind as to the sincerity or the concern the young man was feeling at the moment.  "We were talking in the Common Room and all of a sudden he grasped his head and fell over in pain. His scar is really red and we were going to take him to Madam Pomfrey but he wouldn't let us.  He told us that You-Know-Who was really angry but he didn't know why.  Hermione's with him now because he passed out."

"Oh my!" Minerva gasped. Not bothering to wait for any further explanations, the Head of Gryffindor turned and determinedly made her way to the door, intent on reaching her ailing student and rendering aid.

"Oh my indeed," Dumbledore agreed quietly, instinctively knowing that Harry's sudden predicament was directly related to the Potion Master's recent summons.  It was with a heavy heart that the worried man followed his student and Deputy Headmistress to the Gryffindor Common Room displaying a level of speed and agility that some would consider surprising in a Wizard his age.        

/^\^/^\^/^\

It was dark inside the tiny room Severus had Apparated into, with the exception of one corner bathed in the flickering glow of candlelight.  Allowing his eyes a moment to adjust, he looked up to see the Dark Lord sitting on a grotesque throne-like chair made of stone.  Each arm of the chair boasted a three-dimensional image of a single skull on which Voldemort's skeleton-like hands calmly rested.  Coiled around and through the skulls in various positions were several species of snakes, their eyes inlaid with blood red gemstones that glowed in the dim lighting.  Overall it was a macabre piece of _'artwork'_ and an even more garish, not to mention disturbing, sight to behold.  Snape was unable to halt the momentary shiver that ran throughout his body and prayed to Merlin that Voldemort's mood wasn't as daunting as this particular display.  Given the events of the afternoon and the previous evening, he sincerely doubted his prayer would be answered. 

Strengthening his resolve and having seen upon more than one occasion Voldemort's impatience at displays of timidity, he quickly walked toward his Master and knelt reverently at his feet. Bowing his head in a display of submission, he lifted the hem of the Dark Lord's robes and placed a kiss at its very edge. 

"What is your bidding, Master?" he asked, projecting a level of confidence into his words that he certainly did not feel.  

"Ah, Severus," the snake-like figure hissed. "You are one of my most loyal Death Eaters, are you not?"

Snape bowed his head even lower, feeling a quick 'pop' in the back of his neck as his joints and muscles protested such movement so soon after the torture he had been dealt the previous evening.  "I am loyal to only you, Master," he answered humbly, though the mask he wore muffled his words ever so slightly. 

"As you should be," Voldemort hissed and rose from the throne to stand directly behind the kneeling man.  

Snape suddenly felt a sharp pain as Voldemort's foot connected with the base of his spine.  The force of the kick was unexpected and he struggled to maintain an upright position as he bit back the cry of pain that threatened to escape his lips. It was mere seconds before an even more intense pain wracked his body and he found himself sprawled helplessly on the floor valiantly trying to resist the urge to cry out and curl up into a fetal position.  Once again, the Dark Lord had cast _Cruciatus_. 

"Severus my boy I do hate doing such wretched things to those who serve me," Voldemort mocked as he calmly returned to his throne.  "But for those of my servants who would betray me…"

"I am loyal to no one but you, Master," the writhing man reiterated, gasping as yet another intense wave of pain shot through his slender body. It was a bad sign when Voldemort adopted a _'concerned and caring'_ tone of voice and it was during such times that the Potions Master had learned to be on his strictest guard.  Years of proximity had taught him to recognize Voldemort's various methods for extracting information and the _'fatherly'_ approach was an effective form of deception as it hid the true malice behind the snake-like creature's actions.  

"So you have said upon many occasions," the Dark Lord spat contemptuously.  "However, it has recently been brought to my attention that you have bestowed your loyalties upon that doddering old fool of a Headmaster and his precious Order of the Phoenix.  Tell me Severus, is this true?"

"No, Master," Snape protested.  It was then that he sensed the unknown presence standing in the background.  The person wore concealing robes though they were not the garments of the Death Eaters. He had just enough time for his subconscious to recognize a fleeting familiarity about the person though under the circumstances he couldn't fathom what that might be. "I pretend to serve Dumbledore to obtain information for you and no one else, My Lord."  

"And what of the Order of the Phoenix? Where do they meet?" Voldemort demanded.

"As I have said before I do not know, Master," Snape gasped, wondering how much longer he would be able to hold out against such pain.  Briefly he longed for the serenity of unconsciousness but knew with absolute certainty that the Dark Lord would merely revive him and continue the interrogation. "I have only been there a few times and Dumbledore Apparated us directly.  The location was never revealed to me and I saw only a handful of people."

Several moments passed in silence as Voldemort contemplated Snape's words. _"Finite Incantatum,"_ the reptilian-like voice finally hissed as he lifted the curse from the writhing Potions Master. "Severus, I have a new spy that would have me believe that your stories are mere lies. Imagine my dismay in learning of such treachery and deceit in one I have considered loyal to me for so many years."

"I have not deceived you, Master.  You have seen into my mind and you know that I have spoken nothing but the truth," Snape insisted, wondering at the identity of this unknown spy. 

"Ah yes, my use of Legilimens," Voldemort acknowledged thoughtfully. "It is true that I have not detected any signs of deceit from you, Severus.  However, you are a powerful Wizard in your own right and while it is unlikely that you would be able to resist my superior abilities, it is possible that you may have found a way to counteract my methods."

"I have not nor would I be foolish enough to attempt to toy with you like that, " Snape answered, rising unsteadily to his feet to stand quietly before the Dark Lord.  "You may look into my mind now and see for yourself that I still speak the truth, Master."

"I do not need your permission!" Voldemort snapped.  His eyes narrowed as he looked at the unnamed figure cowering behind him and then back to the Potions Master. Speaking in a softer tone of voice, he directed his next words toward Snape. 

"Legilimens will not be necessary this time as I have devised a much better way in which you may prove your unswerving loyalty to me," the snake-like creature hissed and Snape was appalled to see a sinister smile grace the corners of the Dark Lord's mouth.  Severus had seen that smile before and a shudder ran through his body once again that had nothing to do with the recently cast Unforgivable.   

"Anything, Master," the Potions Master replied with a deep bowing of his head. 

"Let us see if you still say that once you have heard my demands," the Dark Lord hissed, angrily pushing aside the urge to inflict permanent damage upon the dark haired man. "I want Harry Potter…"

"But, Master…" Snape sputtered, thinking frantically how he could prove his loyalty and still protect Potter.

"Do not interrupt me!" Voldemort commanded.  "I realize that Harry Potter is protected by that meddling old fool while he resides at Hogwarts.  I know that Dumbledore has cast various protection spells on the boy that prevents you from unobtrusively removing him from the grounds and bringing him directly to me."

Severus breathed a momentary sigh of relief as he listened to Voldemort speak.  Unfortunately this newfound feeling of relief was but fleeting as the Dark Lord continued to outline the details of his plan. 

"While we are not ready to wage a full fledged attack against the meddlesome brat as of yet, we can break his spirit or at least dampen it a little," Voldemort said, a twisted smile playing about his almost translucent lips as he thought about bringing the Boy-Who-Lived to his knees once and for all. Turning his attention back to the man who stood before him, he continued.  "Do you have any idea how we are going to accomplish this, Severus?"

"No, Master," Snape replied now undeniably certain that he would not like the answer that was so obviously forthcoming. 

"By depriving Potter of that which means the most to him," Voldemort cackled, obviously delighted with his plan to cause Harry Potter pain.  "Severus, you will prove your loyalty to me once and for all by bringing me that which means the most to him by the end of this week."

"Master, I cannot bring Dumbledore here," Severus protested in an attempt to stall for time so that he might find a way to dissuade the Dark Lord from this particular path. "The old fool would never fall for it."

"Not Dumbledore!" Voldemort hissed, angrily slamming his hand down on the arm of his chair. The red eyes of the serpents sculpted on the arms of the throne seemed to glow brighter in response to the Dark Lord's increasing anger.  "Though that is a nice thought…"

"Then what am I to bring you, Master?" Snape asked, still playing the part of the obedient Death Eater.  He was almost certain that he knew what the Dark Lord was about to demand of him and he hoped with every fiber in his body that, in this particular instance, he was wrong. 

"Not _what_, Severus… _who_," the snake-like figure replied softly with a cackle that would have terrified the bravest of men.  "By the end of the week you will prove your loyalty by presenting me with his two closest friends. Come this Saturday, by no later than midnight, you must bring before me, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger or you will suffer the consequences personally." 

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  My many thanks to OzRatBag2 for taking the time to beta this chapter and lend her talents and insights.   I would also like to say a quick thank you to those of you who reviewed the Prologue.  Hopefully, you've enjoyed this chapter as well..  

~Jules 


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Two~

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed with relief as he entered the Gryffindor Common Room to find his best friend conscious and resting on the sofa.  Hermione had just removed a cold compress from his forehead and was wringing it out over the small porcelain bowl that sat on a nearby table.  

Harry winced at the boisterous greeting and felt a twinge of sharp pain shoot across his forehead in response.  He hated his unwanted connection with Voldemort and he especially resented the weakness that invaded his body when such sessions were over. Not wanting to be rude, and knowing that his friend had been worried, Harry forced a wan smile to his face. "Hi, Ron."

The red haired boy smiled back but his happiness was quickly doused when Hermione determinedly walked over to him and softly admonished his actions.  "Ron Weasley, can't you keep your voice down?  You know how loud noises affect him after one of these episodes and the least you can do is speak softly for a while."

The chastised boy immediately looked repentant and shot an apologetic look to his ailing friend.  "Sorry mate, I guess I forgot."

"Again," Hermione muttered under her breath in exasperation as the familiar scene played out.  

The squabbling was brought to an abrupt halt as the portrait opened and Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall entered the room.    

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," the three students greeted the adults almost in unison. 

The Transfiguration teacher aimed an abrupt nod of her head at her charges and quickly walked over to stand beside Harry in an effort to assure herself that he was indeed all right.

"Harry," the aged voice of the Headmaster rang out kindly, "I understand that you experienced another episode through your link with Voldemort?" He raised a wrinkled finger indicating the jagged scar that ran along the right side of Harry's forehead. 

"Yes sir, it's the first one in well over a year" the Boy-Who-Lived answered, altering his position so that he now sat upright on the sofa.  Looking intently at the Headmaster, he relayed the events that had led up to this particular moment.

"And you have no idea what may have caused Voldemort's current bout of temper?" Dumbledore asked softly, gazing directly into Harry's eyes as if he knew the young man was holding something back. 

Harry steadily returned the Wizard's gaze while trying to decide if he should divulge what he had seen while he had been unconscious.  Realizing that the Headmaster would find out anyway, he decided to share a portion of his vision knowing that Snape would report the facts of his summoning soon enough.  

"He was very angry because he thinks that Snape betrayed him," Harry replied in a hushed voice, and momentarily closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the memory of seeing, Snape, his most detested Professor writhing on the floor under the effects of the Dark Lord's malicious curse.  "Voldemort cast _Cruciatus_ on him and kept asking Snape if he had changed loyalties. When Snape kept insisting that he wasn't loyal to you, Voldemort came up with a plan… a way that Snape could prove his allegiance once and for all."

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected softly, ignoring the gasps of surprise and concern that came from the other people present in the Common Room.  "Harry, how is Professor Snape expected to prove his loyalty? What is it that Voldemort wants him to do?" 

The Headmaster saw the look of fear that flashed through the young man's eyes and noted his brief glance at Ron and Hermione. "I…I don't know, Sir," Harry stuttered, bowing his head and breaking eye contact with his mentor. He did not want to worry his friends by revealing that the Potions Master had been ordered to bring them to Voldemort by the end of the week.  Whatever else he might think of the former Death Eater, Harry didn't believe that Snape was loyal to anyone except Dumbledore and he sincerely doubted that the Slytherin would turn the two students over to the Dark Lord even if they were Gryffindors. But what would happen if he didn't deliver them as instructed? How would the Potions Master explain his failure to follow orders without suffering even further at the hands of the warped creature that demanded total allegiance? How would he be able to continue in his role as a spy for the Order?

Dumbledore realized that Harry was holding back information and having witnessed the worried look on the young man's face, he was willing to bet that whatever the Potions Master had been ordered to do involved one of the other two students currently occupying the Gryffindor Common Room.  The elderly Wizard sighed quietly, wondering if this ongoing battle with the Dark Lord would ever come to an end.  So many good people, both magical and Muggle had suffered thus far and Albus, being all too familiar with the ways of the darker forces, had no doubt that many more would suffer still. The only bright spot was the knowledge that if Voldemort had ordered Severus to prove his loyalty, it meant that the Potions Master would be returning to Hogwarts.  Harry had said that Snape had been subjected to _Cruciatus_ and while the Headmaster worried about the physical well being of his long-time friend, he took a small measure of comfort in knowing that if nothing else, the man would be returning to Hogwarts alive. 

"Is there anything else that you would like to tell me, Harry?" Dumbledore queried with a sad smile.  "Anything at all?"

"No, Sir," the youth replied nervously.  He was fairly certain the Wizard had seen through his feeble attempt to protect his friends and a feeling of shame settled over him as a result of such a dishonest act.  Harry could only hope the Headmaster would understand his reluctance to disclose such information in the presence of Ron and Hermione once Snape returned and revealed Voldemort's orders. 

"Very well," Albus answered, knowing that he would hear no more on the subject. "I think that it would be advisable for you to rest quietly for the remainder of the day."

Harry started to protest but the Headmaster merely shook his head.  "No, I must insist that you follow my orders on this.  You will go to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey will administer a Dreamless Sleep potion. Once you have had the opportunity to partake of a good night's rest, you will be discharged and allowed to return to your classes."

The Deputy Headmistress was finding it more than a little difficult to hold back a smile upon seeing Harry's doleful look of resignation.  It wasn't until she realized the Headmaster was speaking to her that she turned her attention away from her prized Gryffindor student. 

"Professor McGonagall, perhaps you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Potter to the Infirmary and make his excuses to the Professors whose classes he will miss this afternoon?" the Headmaster questioned. 

"Of course," the Gryffindor Head of House agreed and waited as Harry stood up and reluctantly walked to the portrait.  "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, I believe that if you hurry you will still be able to make it in time for the remainder of lunch before attending your afternoon classes."

Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, Ron and Hermione quickly gathered their books and sent their friend a sympathetic look of understanding before exiting the Common Room.  Professor McGonagall and a silent, bone weary Harry Potter followed them through the portrait moments later.

Perhaps if they had stayed just a little longer they would have seen the Headmaster, lost in thought, staring vacantly at the Gryffindor banner that hung proudly on the wall? His facial expression was one of deep concentration and worry as his mind replayed his conversation with the young man who had come to matter so much to him.  Finally, with an audible sigh and a slight shake of his head, he exited the Common Room to return to his office where he would await the return of Severus Snape. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

The Hogwart's dungeons were currently dark, quiet and completely deserted; just the way the Potions Master liked them, especially when sneaking back to his quarters outfitted in Death Eater garments.  Thankfully it was dinnertime and most of the students were happily eating in the Great Hall. It had taken him an unusual amount of time to return to the castle after absenting himself from the Dark Lord's presence.  Apparating to the Forbidden Forest had taken more energy than usual given the level of concentration that was required on account of his severely weakened condition and he had decided to rest before making the long trek from the entrance gates to the castle. He allowed himself the luxury of a derisive snort, realizing that after Saturday evening he wouldn't have to worry about such things any longer.  For that matter, he wouldn't have to worry about anything, as he was certain Voldemort would indeed follow through with the ill concealed threat to extinguish his life.  _'Of course he won't actually end my life until after bestowing upon me the honor of demonstrating his skill with every form of torture and dark curse he's ever learned. And let us not forget the sadistic pleasure he will garner as he joyfully parades my pain riddled carcass about as an example to the other Death Eaters.'     _

Reaching the entrance to his private chambers, the battered Wizard drew his wand and released the numerous wards placed on the door.  It wasn't so much that he worried the students might break into his chambers but rather someone like Lucius Malfoy: A man who had no compunction about entering another Wizard's domicile even when the wizard wasn't present. Snape had learned his lesson the hard way shortly after joining the Death Eaters so many years ago.  Even after all this time, his temper still flared as he remembered walking into his home to be greeted with the sight of Lucius unabashedly rifling through his private paperwork and personal belongings.

Removing his wrinkled cloak with trembling fingers, he tossed it on a nearby chair and headed straight for the liquor cabinet.  Whilst a good pain-numbing potion would probably be the more prudent course of treatment for relieving the more uncomfortable after effects of the Unforgivable, a large portion of Fire Whiskey definitely couldn't hurt. He sat down and stared hatefully at the mask that stared silently back at him.  It was the most potent sign of the Death Eaters and whilst it served as a symbol of fear to most, to Severus it was nothing more than a reminder of the mistakes of his past:  Mistakes that had placed him into servitude and cost him his freedom throughout most of his adult life; Mistakes that could potentially now cost two of Hogwarts students their own lives.  

Angry at his own foolhardiness and the consequences not only to himself but others, he finished off the whiskey and threw the empty glass into the fireplace with as much force as he could muster.  A sense of malicious contentment coursed through his veins as he watched the fragile glass shatter into hundreds of tiny shards that glimmered softly against the stone grate.  Now if he could only do the same to Voldemort then all would be well!  _'But that would be Potter's job,' _whispered a small voice that rose unbidden from somewhere in the back of his mind.  _'That ridiculous prophesy! It's nothing more than the ramblings of a nutcase and will_ _very probably cost the boy his life in the not so distant future.'_  Oh he would agree that James Potter's brat might, in time, very well become a powerful Wizard but it wasn't something that would happen in the immediate future.  Now, as a result of all the attention bestowed upon the boy by the Wizarding World, coupled with the Dark Lord's own insecurities, not only Potter but those closest to him were fair game in the ever present battle between good and evil.  

The Potions Master ran a shaking hand through the limp strands of hair that had fallen about his face.  Snape had realized as soon as the Dark Lord began to outline his plan to emotionally cripple the Boy-Who-Lived that he would most likely be ordered to eliminate Hermione Granger. After all, the girl stood for everything that the Death Eaters stood against.  She was Muggleborn, intelligent, and definitely on her way to becoming a very powerful Witch.  In short, she was proving, without a doubt, that the archaic ideals spouted by Purebloods such as himself were nothing more than mere propaganda designed to ensure their own supremacy.  Severus felt an all too familiar rush of loathing as he remembered how blinded he had been in his own youth and how he too had once embraced such flawed ideas.  The fact that she was one of Harry Potter's best friends would only serve to make her final demise that much sweeter for the Dark Lord and his followers. 

_'Weasley was a surprise though,' _he thought, thankful his shocked expression had been hidden behind the loathed Death Eater mask when Voldemort revealed his intentions.  Snape had assumed the Dark Lord would spare Weasley, at least for the time being, on the basis that he came from a Pureblood wizarding family.  Unfortunately for magical families such as the Weasley's, tolerance and acceptance of Muggleborn Wizards and Witches automatically pitted them against the ideas on which Voldemort was building his base of power. There was to be no place in the _'new order'_ for those who had any sympathy for the victims.  Severus had to admit that the disappearance and death of Ronald Weasley would send a powerful message to the Wizarding population.  Obviously the Dark Lord was ready to take this war to a new level and soon it would be obvious to everyone, Pureblood and Muggleborn alike, that the stakes had just become that much higher. 

Snape closed his eyes and leaned back against the overstuffed chair, willing the tremors that ran through his limbs to subside.  He needed to report to Dumbledore soon so that plans could be made but first he needed to be able to walk, preferably without the embarrassment of falling flat on his face, to the Headmaster's office.  

Flicking his wand in the direction of the fireplace, he cast a hastily muttered _Reparo _and watched as the shards of broken glass knitted themselves back together into their original form. _'There is something less than satisfying in being able to instantly repair something that one has destroyed in anger,'_ he mused. With a few final flicks of his wand, he cast a cleaning charm on the newly repaired glass and directed it back to its proper place in the liquor cabinet. Grabbing a clean robe, he stalked to the door, lowered the wards, and determinedly exited his chambers.  Whether he liked the idea or not, it was time to talk with Albus Dumbledore about the future, or at least what was left of it.   

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  Wow! I can't believe the response this story has received thus far and I would like to send out a heart-felt THANK YOU to those of you who have taken the time to leave a review or email me directly. Your comments and encouragement mean so much!  As always, my very sincere thanks to OzRatBag2 for taking the time to run through my writing with a fine tooth comb and make it presentable for posting.  

~Jules  


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer:  Yes, by now I think that we have figured out that the HP characters, along with the world they inhabit, don't belong to me and that the old Bank Account is just as empty as it was before I sat down to write this story! 

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Three~

The noise in the Great Hall had reached an almost deafening crescendo. It was truly a compilation of the sounds of everyday life found at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, from the seemingly minute sounds of the clanking of silverware against the delicately crafted china plates, to the boisterous voices of students engaged in various conversations; all heard by the Wizards seated at the Head Table.  It was these sounds that brought a level of comfort to the Headmaster as he surveyed the normalcy of it all.  The only dark blotch to his musings made its presence felt as his eyes turned from their study of the individual House tables to survey the table at which he now sat.  A worried expression settled over his features as the usually twinkling blue orbs came to rest on the empty chair that marked the Potions Master's absence.

_'It should not have to be like this,'_ Dumbledore mused sadly for at least the hundredth time that afternoon. While Harry's link with Voldemort had done much to assure the aging Wizard that his friend would return, it did not hint as to what physical condition the man might be in at the time. Recently, the Dark Lord had been less than charitable with his followers and his ire appeared to be growing exponentially: That was, of course, assuming that one were so inclined to use the increasing physical injuries incurred by the Potions Master during the last few summons as a method of measure. The Headmaster gave a weary shake of his head and turned to answer the question posed by his Deputy Headmistress.  After several minutes of discussion, he gently lay his spoon down on the table, stood up, and politely excused himself. It was time to return to the sanctuary of his office to await Snape's return.  Something told him that things were about to change for the worse.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Minerva McGonagall's gaze followed the tall form of the Headmaster who was hastily exiting the Great Hall.  A pensive expression stole over her face as she contemplated the events of the day, and a sad, soft sigh escaped her tightly pressed lips.

Even though she had said nothing to Dumbledore, the continued absence of her often-cranky colleague had not escaped her notice. Minerva had long since known and accepted the fact that Severus Snape was an extremely private man that kept mainly to himself. In that respect, he had changed very little since his own years as a Hogwarts student. However, regardless of the man's predilection toward solitude, she knew that he went to great lengths to put aside his personal preferences as a favor to the Headmaster and partake of evening meals in the Great Hall. It was a rare occasion when one could glance over to view a vacancy in the tall-backed chair usually occupied by the taciturn man. 

A slight frown graced the Transfiguration Professor's lips as she recalled an earlier conversation in the main corridor in which she overheard several Ravenclaw students discussing the unexpected cancellation of Potions class.  Had she not been present in the Gryffindor Common Room when Harry had discussed the details of his link to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, then such information would have been more than enough to alert her that something out of the ordinary was taking place.  After all, it was no secret amongst either the teachers or the students that Severus Snape never cancelled classes. _'Certainly he should be back by now?'_

Turning her attention back to her meal, she continued quietly pondering the events of the day.  _'Albus must be really be worried' _she told herself with a slight quirk of her mouth._ 'He never skips dessert...' _

/^\^/^\^/^\

Meanwhile, another pair of eyes had noticed the absence of the Head of Slytherin and had been steadily searching the tables for any other possible signs that something might be amiss. It wasn't until his steely eyes landed on the empty space at the Gryffindor table where Harry Potter usually sat that he began to wonder in earnest.  He remembered the letter he had received from his father the previous day and recounted the neatly scripted words in his mind.  The blond haired boy couldn't recall anything in the letter that had been out of the ordinary or of particular interest.  Indeed it had been nothing more than his father's usual ramblings regarding the greatness of the Malfoy family name and his continuing expectation that his son and heir surpass 'the Mudblood' in class ranking prior to the end of the school year. 

Risking another covert glance at the Gryffindor table, he observed Hermione Granger, the 'Mudblood' mentioned in his father's letter.  _'Nothing unusual there,'_ he mentally sneered, watching her bushy head earnestly bob up and down in response to something Ron Weasley had said.  Continuing to unobtrusively watch the unsuspecting Gryffindors, he was surprised to notice a certain level of tension in their postures. Both students seemed to be particularly on edge and were leaning over the table toward one another while engaged in a very hushed conversation.  Obviously something had happened earlier that afternoon, the details of which had not been offered to the student population.  Whether it was public or private knowledge, he still should have heard something from someone. After all, being top boy in Slytherin, not to mention his status as a Malfoy, had its advantages. One of those advantages was the fact that all gossip immediately came his way, especially if it concerned '_Saint Potter'_ and his gang of misfits. Draco's brow furrowed in thought. He knew that his father would have dropped some sort of hint in an attempt to prepare him if anything of importance were imminent concerning the Dark Lord.  It wasn't a good sign when Lucius Malfoy, one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers, was unaware of his Master's intentions and it was even more disturbing when Severus Snape disappeared from the castle in the middle of the afternoon.  

Deciding that it was in his best interest to get to the bottom of things, Draco waited until Ron and Hermione finished their meals and exited the Great Hall before making his own departure. Shrugging off the attention of his usual entourage of Crabbe and Goyle, the ice blond Slytherin exited through the side entrance and hurried to catch up with the Gryffindors.  It was time to find out if his concern was truly warranted. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

Once again Snape found himself cursing Dumbledore's sweet tooth as he towered over the stone Gargoyle just outside the Headmaster's office. Thus far he had tossed out several names of confectionary sweets the aged Wizard might have used to set his current password but the entryway remained tightly sealed.  He glared menacingly at the statue only to find that his usual tactics of intimidation were sadly wasted on the inanimate object, despite the fact that it was magical in nature. Fleetingly the Potions Master fervently prayed, to whatever Deity might be listening, that Dumbledore's propensity for the sickly sweet treats would result in nothing less than the rotting of every tooth in his bearded head.   

Unfortunately such thoughts only served to remind him of the rising pain in his own head as the pounding headache from earlier that morning triumphantly announced its wretched return. How he hated the _Cruciatus_! Raising his hands, the Potions Master allowed the long, elegant fingers to gently massage his temples in slow circular motions hoping to soothe the ever-growing ache. _'There has to be a better way.'_ Deciding that he had suffered enough of the Headmaster's idea of fun and games, which in Snape's opinion were more games than fun, he directed his blackest glare at the Gargoyle.  

"Know now that if you do not open this passageway this very instant, that I will derive the most exquisite of pleasures in procuring a ridiculously large bag of that infernal Candy Corn that Albus loves so much, and happily shove it up your granite encrusted arse!" 

To Severus' immense surprise, the doorway immediately swung open to reveal a revolving spiral staircase that led directly to the Headmaster's office.  Sweeping past the Gargoyle with a look of smug satisfaction, Snape stepped onto the stairs and waited impatiently as the device began to slowly spiral upwards. The Potions Master had just enough time to wonder if it had been his harshly muttered threat that had prompted the sentry to reveal the opening or if he had actually guessed the correct password before finding himself face to face with Albus Dumbledore.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Gryffindors," Draco muttered under his breath as he caught sight of Ron and Hermione heading toward the main staircase.  _'They're so predictable. Probably heading back to their Common Room.'_  Deciding to put his newly found plan into action, the blond haired Slytherin marched directly toward the pair, pretending to be so engrossed in one of his textbooks that he didn't realize Hermione was in his path. 

"Hey! Watch where you're going, Mudblood," he hissed as their bodies collided and sent Hermione reeling backwards into Ron, who was walking just a pace behind her.

Rubbing his shoulder and grimacing as if he had sustained a serious injury, the Slytherin watched as the Gryffindors steadied themselves.  

"What's the matter, Granger?  Didn't your parents teach you any manners at all?  You're supposed to _apologize_ when you run into someone.  Of course, had you been paying less attention to Weasel and more attention to what's around you then you wouldn't have to worry about such things. Would you?"

Ron was already reaching for his wand in typical Weasley fashion when Hermione stepped in front of him with the hope of forestalling a duel.  

"As a matter of fact, Malfoy, my parents did teach me manners and had I actually run into _someone_, I would have apologized immediately.  However since it was only you, I see no reason to do so.  And besides, _you_ ran into _me_."  

"I think our collision may have addled what few brains were left under that bushy hair, Granger. But then I don't expect someone such as yourself to be able to admit when she's at fault," Draco snarled, delighted at the crimson color steadily rising in Ron's face.  _'Just a few more comments and his face may actually match his hair.'   _

The young man's comments had precisely the desired effect he had been hoping for as was evident by Hermione's indignant gasp of outrage. Ron, for his part, was desperately trying to sidestep the angry girl in order to gain a clear path to hex the Slytherin antagonist.

"Careful, Weasel," Draco cautioned the fuming redhead with a malicious smirk.  "Potter's not here to protect you and it would be such a shame if something were to happen."

"I don't need Harry to protect me against the likes of you, Malfoy!" Ron raged, advancing on the Slytherin.  

Draco stood his ground, thoroughly enjoying the verbal joust.  Yes, he could always count on Weasley getting riled up over the tiniest of incidents.  Just a few more insults and he'd have the information he needed. Smiling nastily, the blond haired boy merely shrugged.

"That's a relief since he can barely protect himself. Where is Saint Potter anyway?  Did he finally wise up and realize that he could do better than the likes of the two of you? Or perhaps he ran home crying to his Mummy?" The Slytherin paused, waiting for his comments to register before delivering the final blow. Pasting a look of mock concern on his face, he shook his head in a pitying gesture.  

"Oh wait, I forgot… he doesn't have a Mummy.  Does he?"  

The sharp intake of breath from Hermione was quite audible as her quick mind processed the meaning behind Draco's words. _'How dare he say such horrible things?'_ She was sorely tempted to grant Ron's fiery temper free reign and turn a blind eye as he hexed the smiling Slytherin in retaliation for the remark about Harry's mother.  _'Better yet I should do it myself!'_  It was only her status as Head Girl and the need to set a good example for the other students that kept her from hexing Malfoy ten ways to Sunday.  

"He's in the infirmary resting, Malfoy, which is exactly where you're about to end up, " Ron snarled. "But don't worry, he'll be back in the morning which is more than I can say for you!" 

"Mr. Weasley," a stern voice sounded from behind the students just as Ron had opened his mouth to send a hex flying toward Draco.  "Is there a problem?"

The quarreling students turned to see Professor McGonagall gazing at them with a look that all but dared them to even try to attempt to talk their way out of the sight she had just witnessed.  Even Draco knew that crossing the Transfiguration Professor was unwise as she would readily deduct House Points from any house, including her own, for infractions of school rules. Even the first year students were aware that dueling in the corridors was considered to be a major infraction, with grueling detentions as punishment for offenders. 

It was Hermione who finally broke the uncomfortable silence.  "Professor McGonagall, we were just having a discussion over house ideologies and things became a little heated."

"Yes, I can see that, Miss Granger," the Deputy Headmistress acknowledged, surveying the students with a skeptical look.  She hadn't arrived in time to hear the conversation between the students but she did recognize a defensive dueling posture when she saw one.  

"I would suggest that the three of you return to your Common Rooms immediately and remain there for the rest of the evening.  If I hear the slightest whisper of any mishaps amongst you, be assured that I won't hesitate to deduct House Points and place all three of you in detention until the end of the school year.  Do I make myself clear?" 

"Yes, Professor," they each mumbled. Seconds later, the rebuked students were hastily scrambling to their respective dormitories under the watchful eye of the Head of Gryffindor.    

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  Many thanks to OzRatbag2 for taking the time to scour through this chapter for me.  I would also like to take a moment to thank the readers for the kind words and support that I've received in regards to this story.  Your response to the last chapter floored (and delighted) me!  

There was a person that asked what WIKTT meant.  (I believe I used this term in my Author's Note in the Prologue).  WIKTT (When I Kissed the Teacher) is a group that can be found at the Yahoo site. It is based on the Severus Snape/ Hermione Granger pairing.  If you are interested in checking this group out, you may either go to the Yahoo.com site and enter a search for WIKTT or pull up a search engine (ex. Google) and search the term WIKTT.  This will take you to the site.  Unfortunately, FF.Net will not post web addresses otherwise I would just include the URL.

~Jules


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Four~

Severus Snape sat in one of the overstuffed chairs facing the Headmaster's massive ornate desk.  While most would say the desk was an impressive piece of artwork, truth be known, the gilded edges were far too flashy for the Potion Master's conservative taste. And yet, somehow it seemed to suit the brocade-robed Wizard ensconced behind it.  A Wizard who, at this very moment, sat with fingers tented, staring intently from a pair of vivid blue eyes that held more than a fair hint of worry. Severus, suddenly having the distinctly uncomfortable feeling of being little more than an insect under a muggle microscope, resisted the almost overpowering urge to squirm in his seat like a small boy. 

"Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore offered, always ready to observe the niceties that such interactions dictated.  

Snape turned his attention to the Headmaster and raised an eyebrow in an expression of disbelief.  "Surely, Albus, you don't mean to tell me that you think that solidified bundle of sugar is going to assist in alleviating the seriousness of the situation before us?"

"Never discount the small things, Severus, for sometimes they bring us inspiration where before there was none," Dumbledore remarked tiredly, withdrawing his extended arm and returning the tiny dish to its rightful place.

An elegant snort and a raised eyebrow were the Potions Master's only responses to yet another one of the Headmaster's cryptic philosophical ramblings.  

"And given the information I obtained from Mr. Potter earlier this afternoon, I would have to say that I don't see as to how it could hurt," Albus said, popping one of the small candy concoctions into his mouth. He allowed the object to roll across his tongue, contentedly savoring the tartness of the candy when combined with the sugary coating. Leaning back ever so slightly in his chair, the Wizard calmly noticed the manner in which Snape's eyes flashed at the mention of the celebrated youth.   

"What does Potter have to do with any of this?" Severus snapped.  _'If that fraud of a Witch, Trelawney, has spouted yet another prediction…'_

Albus smiled at the customary acidic quality that entered the Potions Master's voice whenever Harry's name was introduced into a conversation.  _'At least there is one constant in this seemingly endless chaos that envelops us.' _ This time however, he noticed that a tired, almost pained note underlined the familiar sarcasm.  Intuitively, the Headmaster realized that his friend's unplanned meeting with the former Tom Riddle had been much more taxing than Severus would have him believe.  Harry had mentioned that Snape had once again suffered under the Cruciatus and although Albus recognized, and even applauded, the Potions Master's steely resolve in such matters, he knew that continued abuse would soon exact a toll that even Snape would be unable to satisfy.

"It seems that Mr. Potter's scar began to cause him pain earlier today soon after your Gryffindor-Slytherin potions class ended," the older Wizard answered.  "If memory serves me correctly, I believe that coincides with the time you were summoned."

"Potter is always experiencing delusions of pain," Snape snapped uncomfortably.  "It is nothing more than mere coincidence."

"Perhaps," the Headmaster acknowledged thoughtfully.  "Although I hardly call the fact that he observed the details of your summoning through Voldemort's eyes a coincidence."

The Potions Master struggled to school his facial expression into the habitual blank stare, which he so often hid his true emotions behind.  _'Leave it to Potter to witness the one thing I would rather he did not,'_ Severus thought, thinking back to his moments under the extended Crucio. _'Oh how the meddlesome brat must have loved seeing that!'_

"And I suppose he could hardly wait to inform you, in exquisite detail no less, of that which he witnessed?" Snape spat, perhaps a little more forcefully than he had intended.

"As a matter of fact, Harry seemed less than happy to share his experience with me," the Headmaster responded quietly.  "In fact he seemed so reluctant to do so that I am convinced, at one point in our conversation, that he was less than truthful in regards to the scene he may have witnessed."

That tidbit of information confused the Slytherin and he quickly replayed his encounter with the Dark Lord in his mind.  _'What happened that would make Potter hesitant to speak with the Headmaster?  Who is the boy trying to protect?'_   And that's when the final piece of the puzzle snapped into place causing Snape to groan out loud.  _'Of course, Potter, being the epitome of true Gryffindor heroism, would try to keep the news of Voldemort's orders to himself so as not to worry his friends.  Being the loyal sidekicks he knew them to be, they were probably present during his conversation with the Headmaster.'_

Severus sighed and looked at the man who sat patiently across from him "So what exactly did Potter tell you?"

"He mentioned, that for some inexplicable reason, Lord Voldemort seems to have come up with the idea that you have betrayed him and that, as a result, you were questioned repeatedly concerning your allegiance to myself and the Order while under the influence of the Cruciatus." 

"Did he mention anything else?" Snape asked, wondering if Dumbledore was aware of the impending deadline to bring Harry's two best friends before Voldemort. 

"He did mention that Voldemort had assigned you a task that, if carried out to his expectations, would prove your loyalty to him once and for all."

"And that is all he revealed on the matter?" Snape questioned intently, his suspicions as to the boy's motives all but confirmed. 

"Yes although, given the expression on his face at the time, I'd say that your task involves either Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger."

Snape briefly nodded and almost instantly regretted the movement as a wave of dizziness swept over him. The repercussions of the past twenty-four hours were beginning to catch up with him at break-neck speed and he desired nothing more than the solitude of his dungeons.  He gazed earnestly at the man sitting across from him,  "Albus, we have a problem…"

/^\^/^\^/^\

A smug look of satisfaction swept over the refined features of the aristocratic man as he meticulously pulled off his gloves, one finger at a time, savoring the sensuous feel of the Kneazle fur lining as it delicately caressed his skin. He enjoyed the way the light of the fire caught the soft sheen of the black leather and the shimmering reflection of quality that exuded a subtle hypnotic power. 

_'Subtle,'_ he thought, mulling over his recent meeting with the Dark Lord_.  'Yes, I must be subtle if I want to achieve my prize.' _

And he very much wanted to achieve this particular prize for it would finally assure him the coveted position of Voldemort's most trusted servant.  His nose wrinkled at the thought of being labeled as a servant, regardless of the context in which the word was used.  However, if he wanted to succeed in obtaining his ultimate goal then he would have to temporarily overlook such annoying details in favor of the bigger picture.

Discarding the gloves as well as his finely tailored cloak and silver tipped cane on a nearby chair, he strolled casually to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink.  He had been surprised when Voldemort had summoned him earlier and even more surprised upon arriving to the sight of his seething Master.  Not that it was unusual to encounter the Dark Lord in a state of anger, but the degree to which the creature had worked himself up to had been quite spectacular indeed. Lucius Malfoy, being the arrogant Wizard that he was, couldn't help but privately admit to being more than a little pleased with himself as he was the true reason behind his Master's ire. _'It's simply such a shame that no one will ever know the true genius behind my plan.' _

It had taken months of careful plotting on the part of the patriarch of the Malfoy Family to implement the initial stages of an agenda that would all but assure him of becoming the Dark Lord's most trusted and favored advisor.  He smiled to himself.  Yes, he much preferred the title of 'Advisor' to that of 'Servant'.  The long desired position was currently held by Severus Snape and despite Lucius' best efforts, he had thus far been unable to discredit the Potions Master and claim the honor for himself.    

"Until now," he softly murmured, knowing that he would have gladly paid countless galleons for the pleasure of witnessing Snape's reaction to Voldemort's accusations.  A vengeful gleam filled his eyes as he thought about the sole heir of the Snape Family.  Try as he might, Lucius simply could not understand the Dark Lord's preference for the sarcastic Potions Master.  After all, Severus was a Wizard that deliberately went out of his way to be unpleasant and condescending to just about everyone he met, preferring to lead a solitary life surrounded by books and cauldrons.  How could his Master choose such a forbidding figure over the elegance, connections and financial status that the Malfoy family could offer? It simply made no sense. 

'Soon it won't matter. I will step forward and take that which should rightfully be mine and Severus will be out of the picture completely. Let it not be said that a Malfoy does not accomplish a task once he puts his mind to it.'

It had taken much planning, many galleons and more than a few threats until Lucius was finally ready to set his plan into motion.  He had searched for quite some time until he finally found the perfect person to accuse Snape of being a traitor: a person who had too much to lose should they not cooperate.  It was this person that had approached Voldemort to accuse Severus of serving both Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. And although this newly found 'friend' couldn't offer specific details, the information that was given was sufficient enough to sow the seeds of doubt in the Dark Lord's mind. 

"Oh, Severus, how the mighty have fallen!" Lucius laughed.  "Let's see you pull yourself out of this mess, dear friend." 

The Master's request had been surprising and the blond-haired man was disappointed that Snape had been given any chance at all to prove his loyalty. In Lucius' opinion, a nice painful torture session followed by the customary _Avada Kedavra_ would have sufficed nicely.  Although, if the Slytherin were actually the traitor that Lucius believed him to be then there would be no chance he would bring the meddlesome duo of Weasley and Granger before the Dark Lord.  The corners of his mouth twisted with exaggerated distaste at the thought of the Weasleys.  Arthur Weasley had caused him more than enough trouble in the past with his penchant for raiding Malfoy Manor in hope of finding illegal dark artifacts.  The Muggle loving Wizard would never know how close he had come on more than one occasion to finding that which he so fervently sought and Lucius still bristled when he reflected on the numerous magical items he had been forced to liquidate.  

Yes, it would be nice to see at least one of the Weasley's eliminated from the Wizarding World and it was certainly no great loss. Unfortunately Snape would never carry out the Master's orders.  Pity really, as the demise of Hermione Granger would have been especially gratifying.  The nerve of the Mudblooded wench to consistently outscore not only his son but also all of the pureblooded students in her year was unbelievable. The chit really needed to learn her place.  Perhaps after Saturday, he would take it upon himself to seek her out and personally continue her education by teaching her the real role her bloodline entitled her to.

Standing up, he sat his glass down where it would be removed and cleaned by one of the numerous House-Elves owned by the Malfoy Family.  It was time to check on his wife and extract a bit of a reward for his hard won victory. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Now I see why Harry was reluctant to answer my questions while Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley were present," the Headmaster said softly, thankful that he had not tried to press the boy into further explanations.  

"Yes, although it is most surprising that the boy was able to keep such news to himself," Snape jeered.  "I would have imagined he would have informed Weasley and Granger immediately so that they could begin secretly making plans that would once again garner havoc throughout the castle and merely serve to place them in greater danger."

"That will be enough, Severus," Dumbledore admonished firmly, giving the Potions Master a quelling stare.  "While I must admit that their plans have always been a little unorthodox, you cannot deny that they usually succeed in accomplishing what they set out to do."

"That, Headmaster, is nothing more than an exercise in sheer blind luck.  Not to mention a Gryffindor penchant for stupidity in so far as not knowing when to retreat and tackle a problem from a different, more acceptable angle."

Dumbledore didn't bother to answer the Potions Master or even reply to his derogatory remarks regarding the intelligence of Gryffindors.  Instead he remained quiet, obviously deep in thought as if trying to figure out the answer to a very complex riddle. "Harry didn't mention anything about a third person being in the room," he finally spoke and it was obvious that this particular piece of the mystery was bothering him greatly. 

"Potter was observing the events through the Dark Lord's eyes," Snape reminded him, thinking back to the placement of every item and every person in the dimly lit room.  "The person that Voldemort has claimed as his latest spy was either standing behind him or in shadow the entire time. Potter would not have seen this unless Voldemort were to have directly looked at the figure, though I am surprised that he did not sense the presence of the third person. I am certain that I remember seeing the Dark Lord glance in that direction on more than one occasion."

"Occlumency can be disorienting when utilized in such a manner," the older Wizard noted.  "Perhaps this has some bearing on Harry's perceptions of how the events took place?"

"Perhaps," the Slytherin conceded grudgingly, the need for sleep threatening to override both his mind and body.  

"And you have no idea as to who this person might have been?" Albus questioned, worry clearly evident on his wrinkled facial features. 

"None. The person in question always lowered their head whenever I glanced their direction," Severus replied. "There _was_ something about the gestures that seemed familiar but I have been unable to determine even the slightest of possibilities as to their identity."

"Do you think this person is a member of the Order?" Dumbledore inquired, his heart heavy with the thought that the resistance might have been betrayed by one of its most trusted members. 

"I consider it to be the most likely conclusion," Snape answered honestly.  "Although, I doubt they are too closely connected with the Order. That in itself may be useful."

"What makes you say that?" the Headmaster wondered, leaning forward in anticipation of his friend's reply.  

"I simply base my theory on the questions directed at me by the Dark Lord.  For example, he wanted to know what location the Order used for its base of operations.  He seemed to accept my supposed ignorance on the topic when I insisted that you Apparated with me directly during my 'handful' of visits.  Anyone closely associated with the Order would know this location and would have certainly given such information to Voldemort by now. If we could discover the identity of this traitor, perhaps we could 'leak' erroneous information back to Voldemort in the hopes of gaining a greater tactical advantage."  

"I see your point," Albus agreed.  "But that still leaves us with the very real and unnerving suspicion that someone whom we trust may be working against us."

"Indeed," he quietly conceded. "There is of course the more immediate matter of Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley.  You do realize that my true loyalties will become public knowledge amongst Voldemort and the Death Eaters when I fail to deliver them as instructed?"

"Yes."

"Obviously they will need to be protected," Snape continued, disturbed by the peculiar expression on the Headmaster's face. 

"Yes."

Severus had just about had enough for one day and the Headmaster's enigmatic answers were proving more than he could handle considering the current physical state of his body and the increased pounding between his temples.  To top it off, he was going to have to sacrifice his role in the Order and very possibly his life in an effort to protect Potter's annoying friends. "Merlin's robes, Albus! What are we going to do with them?" he practically shouted, rising from his chair and placing his hands flat on the desk in front of him. 

A mysterious smile settled on Dumbledore's face and Snape didn't dare imagine the nature of the thoughts currently playing through the Wizard's mind. Seconds later, the Headmaster calmly answered the Potions Master's impassioned question. "It's really quite simple, Severus. Come Saturday night, you're going to take Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger to Voldemort."  

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  And the plot thickens…. (ominous music plays in background G).  A special thank you to Ozratbag2 for taking the time to beta this story.  Her suggestions and eagle eye have truly enhanced it!   I hope that you all have enjoyed this chapter and the introduction of Lucius Malfoy to the storyline. Thanks to all who have taken the time to read and a special hug to those who have left comments/reviews.

~Jules   


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer:  See Prologue for full disclaimer.

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Five~

A full sixty seconds passed before Snape was able to shake off the stunned haze that followed the Headmaster's reply_.  'Perhaps this is the first stage of Cruciatus induced madness?'_ He was certain that his faculties had finally failed him or, at the very least, taken an unplanned holiday. It was simply not possible that Albus Dumbledore had just calmly decreed that Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley were to be delivered to the Dark Lord.     

"Headmaster?" he questioned tentatively, resuming his seat in the overstuffed chair.  "It would seem that I am more in need of rest than I would have originally believed.  For a brief moment, I was convinced I heard you say that our plan was to follow Voldemort's orders."

Dumbledore leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought, before solemnly nodding his bearded head in confirmation.  "I would agree that you are in desperate need of rest, Severus." A slight quirk of his lips indicated his amusement as he attempted to inject a bit of levity into an otherwise serious situation.  Seeing the younger man's facial muscles tense in response, the Headmaster decided to simply continue with the conversation at hand. "However, I am sorry to say that you did indeed hear correctly.  We have been left with no alternative and therefore must make arrangements for you to deliver the students as instructed."

The Potions Master could not believe the Wizard sitting in front of him was the same one that had ruled Hogwarts under the motto of 'The Students Must Come First' for so many years.  '_Perhaps the lemon drops have been laced with a mind altering potion?'_ he pondered silently, running through a mental checklist of possible mixtures that might account for the Headmaster's unusually odd behavior. He shrewdly eyed the candy dish and vowed to surreptitiously pilfer one of the offensive concoctions prior to exiting the office. A thorough analysis at his lab might prove enlightening.  

"And just how in Merlin's name do you expect to accomplish such a task?" Snape sneered, his eyebrow lifting in a gesture of utter disbelief. The Slytherin would never have imagined voluntarily placing himself in such a position as the one he was about to leap into now. Given the fact that the only other occupant in the room was none other than Albus Dumbledore, it seemed unbelievable indeed. Had someone been brazen enough to inform him that he, the man who gave new meaning to the term 'temperamental', would be verbally arguing on behalf of the disruptive Gryffindors then he would have flooed them to St. Mungo's.  Obviously the world had gone mad.  "What about their friends and their families?  How exactly will you explain their disappearance from the school?"

"One thing at a time, Severus," Dumbledore spoke softly, the twinkle returning in his eyes as he listened to the ferocity underlining the Potion Master's questions.  "We cannot risk your position within Voldemort's ranks unless there is no other option.  The information you have supplied to the Order since Voldemort's resurrection has been invaluable and this is a critical time for us."

"But Headmaster," Snape protested, "certainly you aren't willing to sacrifice the lives of two innocent students in the process?"

"I was under the opinion that you cared very little for either Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger?" the Headmaster asked with a hint of mischief.  "I am almost positive that I have heard you speak to that effect many times during their tenure here at Hogwarts."

"They are the living definition of the word 'nuisance' but that does not mean I wish for them to suffer at the hands of the Dark Lord and his minions. Nor does it imply that I would take pleasure in seeing them used in such a manner as if they were nothing more than mere pawns in a chess game," Snape sputtered, outrage clearly written across his features.

"I'm relieved to hear that," Dumbledore remarked with a smile and placed another lemon drop into his mouth.  "Calm down, Severus. I have no intention of allowing them to remain within Voldemort's grasp."

"Then what are your intentions, Albus?" Snape demanded.  "Because, from the sound of things, it would seem that you are planning exactly that."

"Not at all.  I merely propose that you deliver them to Voldemort as requested. By doing so, you will be able to prove your loyalty through your willingness to carry out his orders.  That is what he asked of you, isn't it?"

"Yes," the Head of Slytherin conceded skeptically.  "But tell me, Albus, once I have accomplished this task and proven my loyalty yet again, how exactly am I supposed to abscond with them without being detected?"

"We will need a diversion," the Headmaster announced with an air of determination. 

"We will need a miracle," Snape muttered in reply, absolutely certain that he was not going to like the details of whatever Dumbledore had in mind. 

"Oh come now, Severus, have a little faith."

"I would be more inclined to have _'a little faith'_ were you not considering a plan whose success hinges on the abilities of two Gryffindors that excel at getting into mischief!" The Potions Master spat.  "And what makes you so certain they will go along with whatever plan we devise? You are, after all, asking them to willingly walk into enemy territory, unarmed no less, to stand face to face with the Dark Lord. I hardly think, foolhardy though they have shown themselves to be over the years, that they will happily agree to this."  

"Calm down, Severus, it's quite simple really. They will cooperate for the very reason that they are Gryffindors." He paused momentarily when Snape gave a derisive snort. "There is also the additional fact that they will want to protect Harry and, knowing Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley as well as I do, I have no doubt they will do whatever is necessary to assure his continued safety."

"It always comes back to Potter doesn't it?" Snape said bitterly.

"According to the prophecy, it must come back to Harry for if it does not then we have already lost," the Headmaster replied gravely. His eyes momentarily lost their usual sparkle and misted over ever so slightly as he was reminded of the tumultuous path that lay ahead for the young Gryffindor. A path that had already taken the young man to places no youth should be forced to visit. _'It should not have to be like this,'_ he thought yet again.

Severus bit back an acerbic reply, knowing that it would have no bearing on the situation at hand other than further upset the already troubled Wizard. Instead, he moodily settled for his customary scathing glare.  

"I recommend that you take this opportunity to rest during what remains of the evening," Dumbledore suggested, rising from his chair.  "In the meantime, I will ponder the matter as I have a few ideas that may prove helpful. Please be prepared to return to this office tomorrow evening where the five of us will meet and finalize the details."

"The five of us?" Snape asked in confusion. 

"Yes of course," the Headmaster replied as if the answer were obvious. "We will need the full cooperation of Harry and his friends if we are to succeed."

_'Great! An evening with Potter and his playmates,'_ Severus thought in disgust. _'Could this day get any worse?'_ Turning his attention back to his employer, he scowled and muttered a gruff 'good night' before exiting the office. It was time to return to his dungeons for a vial of _Dreamless Sleep_.  Something told him that he would need the use of every last scrap of his considerable mental faculties if they were to survive the reminder of the week and whatever lunacy of a plan the Headmaster concocted.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Harry Potter awakened just as the first rays of light tentatively pushed their way through the heavy glass windowpanes that lined the wall of his temporary accommodations. The light quietly trumpeted the dawning of a new day and softly illuminated the dreary room.  Picking up his glasses from the nearby nightstand, the young man placed them on his face and allowed his eyes a moment to adjust to the artificially enhanced clarity they afforded before glancing pointedly at his surroundings.  "She's not here yet," he murmured, referring to the Medi-Witch who had yet to release him from her care.  He had not wanted to come to the Infirmary the previous afternoon and he had certainly not wanted to spend the night.  However, he had to admit, if only to himself, that a full night's rest devoid of the graphic nightmares that so often plagued his dreams had helped tremendously in restoring his energy.  _'Perhaps I could convince Hermione to help me brew some Dreamless Sleep Potion?  I'm sure Myrtle wouldn't mind if we used her toilet…'  _

His face darkened with worry at the thought of his friends.  He had no doubt that Voldemort would go to any lengths to weaken him, both physically and emotionally, and the loss of his closest friends would wound him with far more precision than anything else. _'How can I fight someone who is completely devoid of morals? The only thing that matters to him is his own twisted needs and he'll go to any lengths to satisfy them._ _If it is this type of violence and underhanded mind games that are required to defeat him, then I've already lost.' _  

His silent musings of despair were interrupted when the door to the Infirmary swiftly opened and the bustling figure of Poppy Pomfrey entered the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," the Medi-Witch greeted him, a warm smile on her kindly face. "I'm surprised to see you awake this early, but then I suppose I shouldn't be considering that you've been sleeping since yesterday afternoon."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry agreed apprehensively, watching closely as she placed her wand in front of him and slowly moved it back and forth over the length of his body.  The Medi-Witch murmured several incantations and took note as the magical device began to glow, indicating the results of the various readings. 

"Mmmm… Yes…. Right…" she murmured to herself throughout the process, leaving Harry to fervently hope her responses were an indication that everything was as it should be. He needed to protect his friends and he couldn't do that if he was confined to a sick bed! Moments later she ceased her incantations and returned the wand to its resting place inside the pocket of her apron.

"Is everything okay?" He questioned when Madam Pomfrey walked to the other side of the room and retrieved a familiar looking bundle from a tall cabinet.  The woman hadn't said anything regarding his medical readings and while Harry was almost certain everything was fine, a little reassurance wouldn't go amiss.  _'She isn't acting like anything's wrong…'_

"What?" She asked momentarily confused.  Harry pointed toward her wand and she quickly realized what the young man was referring to. "Oh that! Yes, you're right as rain!" the woman chirped brightly.  "Just needed a good night's rest to set you to rights, that's all."

"Well… can I go then?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, of course," she agreed, handing him the bundle from the cabinet. "Breakfast will be served in a few minutes.  I can either have a tray of food delivered here or, if you prefer, you can take your meal with the others in the Great Hall."         

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather eat with my house mates," he replied quickly, looking forward to escaping the Infirmary and seeing his friends.  

"Yes, I thought you might say that," she smiled. "All right then... Get dressed and hurry downstairs. It wouldn't do to start the day by missing breakfast.  After all, it is the most important meal of the day!" She flashed him a motherly smile before drawing the curtains around the bed and exiting to her office.  

Harry unfolded the bundle, which turned out to be his clothing from the previous day, and dressed quickly. Minutes later he was exiting the Infirmary. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," he called. The Medi-Witch, who was now busily bustling about preparing supplies and other items for the day ahead, stopped and waved a pleasant good-bye. 

Walking hastily through the corridors of the castle, he began to reflect earnestly on the events he had witnessed through Voldemort's eyes.  The snake-like creature really did lack even the most basic elements of humanity. It was plainly obvious given what he had done to the Potions Master. _'If he would do that to someone who supposedly serves him…'_ Harry shuddered at the direction his thoughts were leading him.  No! There just had to be a way to protect his friends. He refused to stand by and watch as they were forced to suffer such a fate on account of him. It simply was not going to happen! What he needed now was a plan… Snape had most likely informed the Headmaster of the Dark Lord's wishes but Harry needed to be sure before he acted.  He also needed to discover how they intended to handle the situation. Yes, the time had come to make certain Dumbledore knew the truth about Voldemort's intentions for Ron and Hermione. But first he was going to eat breakfast...

/^\^/^\^/^\

The room remained dark despite the rising of the sun outside as the heavily draped windows resisted all efforts of the dawning day to announce its presence.  Four small candles burned softly, casting shadows on the crumbling wall; shadows that flickered and danced around the forms of the two occupants housed inside.  

"I came as you asked," a thin voice spoke timidly from the farthest corner of the room. 

"I would expect nothing less," the Dark Lord rasped, eyeing the robed figure speculatively.  "You are here to serve me although it would seem that you feel you are doing me a service by divulging the information you hold regarding Dumbledore's feeble resistance group."

"No, Sir, I think nothing of the sort!" the voice croaked in panic. 

"You will address me as MASTER!" Voldemort shouted, pulling his wand from his pocket and pointing it angrily at the cowering soul that was now huddling in the corner.  A bright blue light shot out from the wand, momentarily illuminating the barren room, before hitting its mark.  The robed figure was thrown back and held against the wall, its feet dangling in the air desperately trying to make contact with the ground that was several inches below. 

"Yes, M…Ma…Master!" the being stammered, wondering if these were to be the last moments of life.  

Voldemort's crimson colored eyes took on an eerie hue as he lowered his wand to his side and continued to gaze at the quivering figure. Oh how he loved to play with these pathetic beings he called servants!  He noted with a mild sense of satisfaction that the person's eyes had held a look of sheer terror at the onslaught of his unexpected attack, but seemed to focus ever so slightly as he lowered his wand.  _'Good. Let the cowering fool feel comfortable for a moment…'_

"Do you honestly think that you are the only servant within my ranks that reports to me on Dumbledore's actions?" the creature hissed, slowly coming to stand before the quivering figure still pinned to the wall.

"N…No, M…Master," the voice whispered.

"What news do you have for me regarding the Old Fool's precious Order?" he hissed, now standing so close to the robed figure that his rancid breath fell upon its twitching facial muscles.  "Did Dumbledore call them together after Severus' return?"

"No, M…Master.  I heard nothing of any such gathering."

Voldemort frowned as he pondered this information.  Perhaps the sniveling idiot in front of him was wrong in its information regarding Hogwart's Potions Master?  After all, the brooding man had managed to pass every one of his tests of loyalty. The Dark Lord's grotesque lips twisted in a facsimile of a smile as he recalled the numerous 'tests' he had administered to his servants since his resurrection. Yes, it was possible that Severus Snape was still loyal and had returned to Hogwarts with the intention of proving his loyalty. Time would tell…

"You have come to me with the accusation that one of my Death Eaters, who has seemingly been most loyal to me in the past, is nothing more than a traitor. For your sake, your information regarding Snape had best prove accurate because if it does not then you will receive the same punishment that I would have exacted upon him."

"I swear that I have told you everything that I know!" the person cried and then looked back at the grinning face of the snake-like creature.  "Master."

"Ah yes, you did not forget our little lesson on how to properly address me," Voldemort hissed, thoroughly enjoying the fear he sensed from the person pinned against the wall.  It was all too easy with most of his servants and this one was no different.  The cowering, the fear, the ease at which they could be broken…  _'The lack of backbone in the younger generations is truly disgusting.'   _

The Dark Lord released the whimpering form and returned to sit on his stone throne.  A loud 'thump' could be heard as the body hit the floor followed by the sounds of scuffling as the individual righted itself and cautiously turned to face its Master. 

"You will inform me immediately if the Order calls a meeting," he instructed, his voice cold and devoid of all emotion. "Dumbledore will not allow any harm to come to Harry Potter or his closest friends. Rest assured if Severus is a traitor and informs the doddering old fool of my instructions that a meeting will be called to determine how to best protect the troublesome brat."

"And if no meeting is called, Master?" the voice hesitantly asked, instinctively taking a step backwards in subconscious preparation for another attack. 

"Then the probability that your information is incorrect will have risen immeasurably," Voldemort replied with a wry smile.  _'Ah yes, the look of terror returns.  You should be afraid you cowering little fool!'      _

"Yes, Master."

"You may go now but remember what I have said.  If Severus Snape brings those blasted children to me by Saturday night then you will suffer in his place.  I do not tolerate fools lightly."

"Yes, Master," the individual repeated and quickly moved to open the door.  

"By the way," the Dark Lord called out just as the figure had placed a foot over the threshold. "I wish to give you something… a reminder of your place and purpose if you will."

"Yes, Master?" the person asked in confusion.

Faster than lightening, Voldemort raised his wand and aimed it at the exiting soul.  "_Crucio_."

The person fell to the floor with a tortured cry as the pain of the _Unforgivable_ coursed through every nerve.  A moment later, the torment suddenly came to a halt and the injured being crawled from the building with the sound of the Dark Lord's maniacal laughter ringing through its ears. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note: And so we come to the end of another chapter!   Thanks to those of you who took the time to review the previous chapter.  It has been interesting to see your reactions and hear your thoughts regarding what possible scenarios Dumbledore and Snape might come up with regarding Hermione and Ron.  

As always, my extreme thanks to OzRatbag2 for taking the time to beta this chapter. She had some wonderful suggestions and it is at her recommendation that I wrote the last scene of this chapter between Voldemort and the mysterious informant. 

~Jules  


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Six~

"Harry!" the red-haired young man exclaimed upon seeing his friend enter the Great Hall. "Hermione and I were just talking about you.  We just finished saying that we were going to check the Infirmary if you didn't turn up soon."

The Boy-Who-Lived bid a polite good morning to his friends and grimaced ever so slightly when he saw his best friend shove a burgeoning fork full of eggs into his mouth.  The all too familiar scene comforted him somewhat due to the sheer normality of it all.  A wistful expression crossed his face as he looked at his friends.  _'No.  I will not let Voldemort have them.  They are my family!'    _

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked. The disapproval on her face as she watched Ron Weasley sloppily shoveling food into his mouth changed instantly to a look of concern as she gazed at her dark-haired friend.  

The softly spoken question was enough to pull him out of his reverie and he quickly pasted a smile on his face.  It wouldn't do to alert his friends to the potential danger until after he had spoken with Dumbledore.  "Yes I'm fine, Hermione.  I guess I just had too much sleep." He hurriedly sat down and began filling the empty plate that magically appeared on the table in front of him with the hope of diverting any further questions.

"How can you have too much sleep?" Ron asked perplexed, taking a moment to look up from his plate.  

A short peal of laughter from Harry and a glare fierce enough to petrify a Basilisk from Hermione, were his only answers.

"What did I say?" the confused boy questioned, looking back and forth between his two friends.

His question was to remain unanswered as Minerva McGonagall chose that precise moment to address the trio.  "Mr. Potter, the Headmaster would like to speak with you, in his office, directly after supper this evening."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," the young man replied, making it a point to keep his voice low so the other students wouldn't overhear their conversation.  He could tell by the look on the woman's face that whatever the Headmaster wanted to speak with him about would be of a serious nature.  _'Snape must have already spoken with him about Voldemort's plan,'_ he thought, casting a quick glance to the Head Table where the Potions Master was seated.   

"He would also like to speak with the both of you as well, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley," she continued and watched as they nodded their heads in confirmation.  "Very well then.  Have a good day."

The trio watched as their Head of House pivoted abruptly and exited the dining room before they returned their attention to one another.  

"What was that all about?" Ron questioned, his near empty plate of food now forgotten. 

"I'm not sure," Harry stammered reluctantly, suddenly finding his own plate of food to be especially interesting.  

However, Hermione had not gained the reputation of being the Gryffindor Know-It-All for nothing.  It had not been exceptionally difficult to add two and two together to deduce that the Headmaster probably wanted to talk to them about Harry's experience of the previous day.  She was almost positive her friend had not told Dumbledore everything he had unwillingly witnessed, and now, after watching his reaction to Professor McGonagall's words and following his brief glance toward Professor Snape, she was certain that her suspicions were correct.  Sensing this was neither the time nor the place to further interrogate the reticent young man, she quietly returned her attention to her own breakfast.  It didn't take an expert in Divination to realize that something was seriously amiss and Hermione, non-believer in the subject though she was, found herself facing the upcoming meeting with more than a little trepidation.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Two pairs of eyes had intently watched the exchange between the Transfigurations Professor and the three Gryffindors.  One pair of eyes was the color of pure steel and held a look within their depths that was just as unyielding. While most of Hogwart's populace assumed the stern Professor was conferring with her students about House business, Draco Malfoy knew better.  Or at least he thought he did. Even though he had been unable to hear their conversation, the Slytherin had noted the trio's tense expressions and terse nods. Try as he might to observe more of the impromptu gathering, he was unable to discern much of anything else thanks to the hulking forms of Crabbe and Goyle, whose massive bodies unwittingly obstructed his view.  

_'So… Saint Potter has returned just as the Weasel predicted and now McGonagall has made it a point to stop and talk specifically with them,'_ he jeered, cognizant of the fact that she had not made an effort to speak with any of the other Gryffindors.  _'And I seriously doubt she was simply welcoming Potter back.'_ A grim smile settled over his face.  No, things seemed quite tense at the Gryffindor table and Draco was willing to bet that it had something to do with Potter's mysterious stay in the Infirmary and his own Head of House's disappearance the previous day.  

_'What in Merlin's name is going on?'_ he wondered, irritated that he was still no closer to solving the puzzle than he was the previous evening.  Unfortunately, his musings would have to be shelved for a later time or he would be late to his first class of the day.  Picking up his books, he graced Crabbe and Goyle with a condescending nod and exited the Great Hall.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

A second pair of eyes, dark and brooding, watched quietly as the three Gryffindors left the Great Hall. Recalling his most recent conversation with Albus Dumbledore, the Potions Master was willing to bet that Minerva had informed the troublesome students of the upcoming meeting.  It simply irritated him to no end that he was being forced to work with Weasley and Granger, especially concerning a matter as important as this.  After all, should they bungle the mission, and he had no doubt that they would, it would be his life that would be forfeited.  

_'Blast Albus and his unfailing faith in those meddlesome dunderheads!'    _

Letting loose a sigh of exasperation, he meticulously wiped his mouth with the linen napkin and slowly rose from his chair.  His muscles ached from the strain of the _Unforgivable_ he had been subjected to and if it weren't for the ample supply of _Pepper-Up_ _Potion,_ which he kept in his quarters, it would have been almost impossible to get out of bed, let alone put in an appearance at breakfast. He was not looking forward to tonight's meeting either as the thought of having to deal with Potter and his sidekicks threatened to make his headache return full force.  Potter would undoubtedly sit and glare as if this whole fiasco was somehow his fault; Weasley's childish temper would automatically stifle any modicum of sense he might possess; and Granger… Severus sighed as his thoughts turned to the bookworm of the infamous trio.  As much as he hated to admit it, and Merlin knew he would never verbally admit such a thing to anyone, the girl possessed a fair amount of intelligence and common sense. She was probably the only one of the thankless brats that could be counted on to retain any reasonable level of maturity while the Headmaster disclosed his plans.  

_'And then those damnable questions will follow.'_  

Truth be known, that was Snape's only problem with the girl. The never-ending stream of questions coupled with her obviously poor taste in friends was more than enough to place the annoying young woman in his bad graces for life.  Privately, he felt compelled to grudgingly acknowledge a deep respect for her unwavering intelligence and the way in which she methodically considered all data before tackling a complex problem.  _'What could a Witch with so much potential possibly see in Potter and Weasley?'_

Realizing that he was wasting time thinking about the Gryffindors, the Potions Master snarled and stormed out of the Great Hall, deducting house points from several students as he made his way to the dungeons to prepare for his first class of the day.  No, he was not looking forward to this evening's meeting, and if such a concept as justice existed in the Wizarding World, then Harry Potter and his bothersome friends wouldn't be either. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

Lucius Malfoy was less than amused as he read the letter delivered only moments before by a non-descript post owl.  A frown marred his forehead as his eyes traversed the final paragraph a second time.  

_'So it would seem the Dark Lord is of the opinion that Severus may actually follow through with his orders to whisk those wretched children from Dumbledore's grasp,_' he thought with displeasure. His fingers involuntarily tightened around the parchment in response to the burst of anger that surged through his body, causing the delicate piece of paper to become irreparably wrinkled.  _'I have waited too long and planned too carefully for this opportunity to gain that which should rightfully be mine and I will not allow my plans to be thwarted by anyone.  Least of all him!'_   

A look of steely resolve shone vividly in his cold gray eyes and his lips curved upwards to form the beginnings of a small, but sinister smile.  Overall, it was a daunting effect and the tiny House-Elf that had just entered the Study quivered with fear.  She was all too familiar with her Master's abrupt change of moods as well as the physical abuse that usually accompanied them. Hoping to avoid such a fate, Mitzy quickly deposited the heavily laden breakfast tray onto the oval coffee table and Apparated quickly from the room.

Lucius glared momentarily at the spot in which the creature had stood.  He hated House-Elves with every fiber of his being.  They were peculiar, offensive, sniveling little wretches that barely deserved the honor of serving a Wizard of his nobility.  "Filthy beast," he muttered, lifting a steaming mug of Earl Grey to his lips.  His brow furrowed in thought as he turned his attention back to his recently delivered correspondence. 

He had chosen the perfect person to play the part of the puppet in his grandiose scheme to rid the Wizarding World of Severus Snape so that he might assume the man's position at Voldemort's side; A puppet that most wouldn't suspect given its past history and personality.  Another smile graced his features as he imagined the thoughts currently racing through the Potions Master's mind.  Would he choose to follow the Master he had professed to serve for so many years? Or, would he choose to throw it all away for the sake of an aging Wizard and a few meddlesome students? Ah yes, it was a dilemma and his puppet had done well in laying the proverbial seeds of doubt at the Dark Lord's feet. Now it was up to Lucius to maneuver the strings and ensure that everything went according to plan.       

The elder Malfoy sat down at his desk and pulled two sheets of heavy, expensive parchment from the top drawer. Picking up the delicate feather quill that rested in its holder, he dipped the nib into the inkwell and began writing.  Someone would need to keep an eye on Snape during the remainder of the week just in case the Wizard did actually decide to carry out the Dark Lord's instructions.  Lucius briefly entertained the notion of charging his son with the task but quickly decided against the idea as past experience had taught him that there were too many variables when dealing with the Boy-Who-Lived and his errant playmates. In the event that something should go wrong, it was better to let someone else take the fall so as not to sully the Malfoy name.  Merlin knew it had been scrutinized enough during the past two years as a direct result of Harry Potter and his disgustingly loyal friends!    

Placing the finishing touches on the first piece of parchment, Lucius raised his wand and lightly tapped it against the completed letter.  After murmuring the words to a relatively simple incantation, he touched the wand to the blank parchment and watched with satisfaction as the original letter duplicated itself.  Picking up the quill, he neatly filled in the addressee's name, sealed both letters and called for his owl. Yes, it would be better to walk on the side of caution where Potter was concerned and fortunately, Lucius Malfoy had friends that remained loyal to him.  Even more fortunate was the fact that those friends had children at Hogwarts that would be all too happy to monitor the suspect actions of Slytherin's Head of House.    

An energetic peel of laughter escaped Malfoy's lips as the owl flew away to deliver his requests.  Perhaps the Dark Lord was correct in his belief that Severus would deliver Weasley and Granger into his reptilian-like hands? Though he still doubted the Potions Master's loyalty, not to mention his resolve in accomplishing such a task under the interfering nose of Albus Dumbledore, it didn't hurt to be prepared; and a Malfoy was always prepared!

He sat down on the sofa and relaxed against the soft leather upholstery. Lost in thought, his eyes absently followed the path the owl had taken.  _'Regardless of your decision, Severus, you will not succeed in maintaining favor with the Master,'_ he vowed, biting into a buttery scone from the highly polished breakfast tray. _'I give you my word as a Malfoy that I will personally see to it that you fail in such a task.'_

/^\^/^\^/^\

Severus stormed through the hallways with a vengeance that sent the nearby students hastily scattering in all directions.  Everyone, including the First Years, knew of the Potions Master's legendary temper and his penchant for deducting house points merely for glancing in his direction.  Even the Slytherins, who normally delighted in standing by and jeering as their Head of House deducted points from their fellow students, quickly decided they had other places to be. "Five points from Slytherin, Miss Parkinson, for being in a part of the castle in which you have no place being," he snapped at the gaping girl.  It was with grim satisfaction that he watched her hurriedly storm off towards the Slytherin Common Room.  

_'Two days of the Dark Lord's antics and unwanted gifts of Crucio followed by an entire day filled with exploding cauldrons and dunderheaded children. As if that isn't enough to constitute a truly heinous day and nearly send me to an early death, I must now endure a fun-filled evening with Albus and the Fantastic Three. Will these atrocities never cease?'_ he privately wondered. 

Arriving at the stone Gargoyle, Snape snapped out the password and stepped onto the spiraling stairway.  His first sight as he entered the Headmaster's office was of three Gryffindor students.  Each sat quietly and wore a look of apprehension on their face.  Although, at a closer glance, he would have to say that the look on Weasley's face seemed to be one of confusion rather than worry.

The Slytherin glared at Harry and his friends a few seconds longer than was his usual custom and mentally cheered when he saw Hermione squirm ever so slightly.  He didn't fail to notice the small spark of anger, which blazed in her honey-colored eyes just before she lowered them to study the intricate designs of the Persian carpet covering the stone floor.

_'Honey-colored eyes?'_ he reflected, silently panicking at the direction his thoughts had traveled. The strain of the past forty-eight hours must have exacted a greater toll on him than he originally thought if he was now noticing the physical attributes of his students.   He absently shook his head in protest of such a notion. _'There is no other explanation as to why I would indulge in these thoughts about such an annoying young woman! Where in Merlin's name did such an idea come from?'_    

"Ah, Severus, it's good of you to join us," Dumbledore spoke from where he was seated behind his desk.  His blue eyes twinkled brightly as he turned his gaze upon the perplexed man. It was almost as if he was privy to a secret that was yet to be shared.  

"It's not as if you gave me a choice, Headmaster," Snape sneered, reverting to the older Wizard's title rather than the familiarity of his first name, on account of the students presence.

"That is true," he acknowledged with a friendly smile. Suddenly, the twinkling of his eyes dimmed to be replaced by a more serious expression as he redirected the group's attention. "However, now that we are all here, I think it best to discuss the matter at hand."   

Harry glanced nervously at Ron and Hermione and noted that they also looked more than a little apprehensive. The feelings of guilt he had carried with him since the previous day returned full force and his mouth suddenly detected a distinct metallic flavor.  It was the taste of nausea and he couldn't help but also notice the knot of fear that had taken up residence in the pit of his stomach.  _'This will not do.  Not now,'_ he thought, fighting against the physical sensations that gripped his body. Returning his attention to the Headmaster, he was surprised to see the Wizard staring intently at him with a look of understanding shining from the depths of his kindly eyes.  

"Perhaps it would be best to begin by stating that of which you are all already aware," Dumbledore said quietly, peering into the face of each person present.  "As you all know, Professor Snape is a most valued member of the Order of the Phoenix."

The students nodded their heads in confirmation and Hermione dared a quick glance in the Potions Master's direction.  She was startled to find herself staring directly into the depths of his obsidian eyes and felt a momentary sense of loss as he averted his own gaze the moment their eyes met. The young woman was shocked by the intensity of the emotion she had witnessed, though she couldn't put a specific name to it.  Daring one final glance in the Wizard's direction, she noticed that he had assumed a more familiar position; that of arms crossed directly in front of him with a customary scowl settled firmly on his face.  _'Yes, that's better,'_ she thought, disconcerted by their brief interaction. Deciding to reflect on the strange encounter at a later time, she returned her attention to the Headmaster.

"As you have already gathered, Professor Snape has been using his connections to spy on the Death Eaters and obtain valuable information for the Order.  This information is vital to our survival and will hopefully enable us to find a way in which to defeat Lord Voldemort once and for all." The elderly Wizard paused, allowing the impact of his words to settle.  "Professor Snape accomplishes this by posing as a loyal Death Eater and has achieved the status of one of Voldemort's most valued members within the Inner Circle.  He maintains this status by appearing to follow Voldemort's instructions as well as reporting back with bits and pieces of information regarding the activities of myself and the resistance."

Ron visibly flinched at the Wizard's continued use of the Dark Lord's name.  Although he had been told many times that 'fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself', he still felt a thread of superstition weave its way through his heart and mind.  _'It's not as if we're talking about Filch here. This is **He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named**,'_ he argued silently.   

Dumbledore paused briefly and offered Ron an encouraging smile, as if he could hear the young man's thoughts and fears. Comforted by the answering nod from the red-haired student, he continued his explanations of the situation with which they currently found themselves confronted.  "Yesterday, shortly after your potions class, Professor Snape was summoned to Voldemort's side. This is, of course, a fact that you became aware of when Harry shared his visions with the both of you, as well as Professor McGonagall and myself, in the Gryffindor Common Room. At that time, Harry informed us that Voldemort had issued orders to Professor Snape.  Orders that, if carried out as instructed, would prove the nature of his loyalties once and for all."

"But he didn't know what those orders were," Ron said, recalling the conversation of the previous day between Harry and the Headmaster.

A red flush quickly crept up Harry's face as he looked guiltily at his friend of nearly seven years.  "I lied, Ron," he confessed, his words so softly spoken that everyone in the room had to strain their ears to hear them.  He hurriedly continued with his admission when he saw the look on his friend's face change from shock to anger.  "Really, Ron, I didn't want to lie but I needed time to think and I didn't want the two of you to panic or worry or anything like that." His voice trailed off and he cast his eyes downward, ashamed of his own cowardice. 

"Why would we panic?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"Because Professor Snape's orders had something to do with one of us," Hermione stated flatly, looking to the Potions Master for confirmation. A calculating stare was his only reply. Her hopes plummeted as she realized his failure to utter a sarcastic rejoinder spoke as clearly as any words might have done. She knew from his actions, or lack thereof, that her theory was correct.  

Harry's head jerked upward and his eyes traveled to her face. Aside from the determined set of her jaw, she showed no expression to indicate her thoughts on the matter at hand.  After all these years, he should not be surprised either by her intellect or her uncanny ability to draw the correct conclusions from a handful of facts, but he always was. This time was no exception. 

The Boy-Who-Lived turned his attention to his other friend and nearly laughed at the predictability he found in the young man's expression.  Ron currently sat staring at him, mouth opening and closing in a fair imitation of a fish. Further words were unnecessary, as Hermione had already pointed out the gruesome truth of the situation. 

"You are partially correct, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered gravely.  "It would appear that Voldemort has found a new means of trying to hurt Harry."

"Which one of us does he want?" Ron asked, worried that the Dark Lord would want him but just as afraid for Hermione as well. As fearful as he was of coming face to face with the creature Harry had told them so much about, Ron knew that he would willingly take Hermione's place if Snape had been ordered to bring her to the Death Eaters. _'Sometimes life just isn't fair.'_

"Me." It was a softly spoken feminine voice that answered the question and although she had only uttered one single word, it seemed to hang in the air like a layer of heavy fog.  

"Why would you say that, Miss Granger?"  Snape spoke for the first time since Albus had begun his little soiree.  

"Because it's the most likely answer," she replied, staring directly at him.  "I mean it's quite obvious really. I'm Harry's friend, Muggleborn, top of my class and Head Girl. How much more reason would he need?"

A slight incline of his head was his only answer as he contemplated the young woman sitting across from him.  He had always found her constant questions annoying and her insight into matters vexing, as she always seemed to reach the correct conclusion with very little effort.  This situation was obviously no different from any other instance in the past and Snape felt his opinion of the Know-It-All raise another notch.  

"As I said," the Headmaster interrupted, "you are partially correct, Miss Granger.  Unfortunately, Voldemort has decided that the best way to wound Harry would be to remove both yours and Mr. Weasley's presence from his life."

"He wants us both?" Ron all but shouted in complete disbelief, waking Fawkes in the process. "Bloody Hell!"

Fawkes let out a shrill squawk as if agreeing with the hot-tempered student.

Harry shot his friend and apologetic look before turning his attention to Hermione.  She had remained silent during Ron's characteristic outburst and had yet to voice her own opinion on the subject.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley," the Headmaster answered quietly, casting a concerned look at the other students.  "Professor Snape has been ordered to deliver you both directly to Voldemort no later than midnight Saturday."

"And if he doesn't?" Hermione asked, her worried eyes resting momentarily on the silent Potions Master before settling on Dumbledore.

Snape shifted in his chair and cast a quick look at Dumbledore as if asking permission to answer the young woman's question.  After receiving the briefest of nods from the older Wizard, the Potions Master turned his attention to the Gryffindor trio.  "Should I fail to carry out the Dark Lord's instructions, Miss Granger, I will face execution."

A tangible silence settled over the room and Ron's eyes took on an almost bug-like appearance, growing large and round as a result of the shock he felt at his Professor's proclamation.  Harry began to nervously fidget while Hermione steadfastly held the Slytherin's gaze for what seemed to be an interminable amount of time. 

It was Albus Dumbledore that finally broke the uneasy silence.  "I am certain that none of you would like to see this situation result in such an unhappy ending."

"How are we going to save Professor Snape without giving up Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked, a grim determination entering his eyes. 

"I can think of only one way to solve the dilemma we currently face," the Headmaster answered slowly, an expression of resignation settling on his bearded facial features. "We are going to have to follow Voldemort's instructions."

It took a full ten seconds for the impact of Dumbledore's words to filter through the student's shocked minds.  After that, chaos erupted in the forms of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who had both risen from their seats to adopt an angry stance in front of the Headmaster's desk.  

"What?" Ron exclaimed, looking as if he might lose the contents of the dinner he had so recently consumed.  He couldn't believe that Albus Dumbledore, the Wizard he had looked up to for so many years, had just calmly announced that he was going to willingly allow two of his students to be handed over to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  _'All of this just to save Snape,'_ he thought bitterly, casting a malicious glance at the Potions Master.  '_What about us?'  _

"There is absolutely no way that you are going to let…_HIM_…take them to Voldemort!" Harry announced, glaring at Snape as if he were somehow responsible for their current situation.  

"Potter, Weasley, sit down and stop behaving like the undisciplined simpletons I have credited you with being these past seven years," the Potions Master snapped, having risen so that he had the further advantage of his impressive height to lend emphasis to his harshly spoken words. 

Harry and Ron immediately turned their attention to the irritated Wizard, their expressions full of animosity.  

"Please," the Headmaster pleaded quietly, gesturing to their vacant seats, "This demonstration will not solve the problem at hand."

Casting one final hate filled look in Snape's direction, Harry returned to his seat followed immediately by Ron.  

"You've remained awfully quiet, Miss Granger," the Potions Master jeered.  "Don't you wish to take a turn at placing the blame and throwing a temper tantrum?"

"Professor Snape," she responded, speaking so softly that her words belied the barely contained fury that rested behind her eyes. "Believe me when I say that if I thought such actions would help in even the smallest of ways, that I would certainly be more than happy to oblige.  However, seeing that I do not believe such a thing, my silence will have to suffice."

Albus Dumbledore watched as the seething Professor and the furious young woman faced one another.  Neither participant seemed willing to be the first to back down from their verbal sparring and he quickly bit back a smile at the mule-like stubbornness both displayed.  Deciding that such acts of defiance, amusing though they were, would not currently aid them, he cleared his throat in an effort to attract the attention of everyone present. 

"Now, as I was saying," the Headmaster continued once he had regained the attention of all present, "it would seem that we are forced to follow Voldemort's orders in this instance, but it does not mean that we have to allow him to carry out his plans."

"But you are going to let him take us to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Ron asked with more than a touch of defiance in both his voice and posture. 

"Unfortunately, Mr. Weasley, it seems to be our only chance of protecting Professor Snape's cover," Dumbledore answered softly. "Sometimes war can be an unfair and unpleasant experience and I fear, given the times we live in, that all too many of the younger generation will be forced to discover this dismaying fact much sooner than those who have already experienced it, would wish."   

"So you're going to sacrifice them for him?" Harry asked bitterly, his eyes continuing to glare daggers at the silent Slytherin.

"No, Harry, that's not my intention at all," the Headmaster assured him.  "However, we do have to make it appear that Professor Snape is following orders."

"Couldn't the Professor tell He-Who… _Him_… that he was unable to get us away from Hogwarts because there were too many people around?" Ron wondered.  

"It wouldn't work, Mr. Weasley" Snape said, entering the conversation.  "The Dark Lord has other spies within the castle that will be following my every move for the remainder of the week.  He will know whether or not I attempt to abduct the two of you."

Dumbledore shook his head in confirmation of the Potions Master's words.  It pained him to remember that the spies Severus referred to were nothing more than young students, trapped within the intricate web of deceit Voldemort had woven.  He listened for another moment to the heated words being exchanged between the Slytherin, Harry, and Ron before raising his hand to indicate that the discussion would cease.  They had more important matters to discuss and arrangements that needed to be made.  There simply was not enough time to allow them to air their grievances with one another. 

"Professor Snape is correct," the Wizard declared. "There is little doubt that if he does not follow through with his orders to remove you from Hogwarts, that someone else will."

An uncomfortable silence descended over the room once again and Ron and Harry looked to one another with fear and apprehension.  Hermione, with the exception of her earlier confrontation with irritable Slytherin, remained quiet.  She was absently staring at one of the magical gadgets on the Headmaster's desk. Her narrowed eyes and pursed lips gave her the appearance of an individual that was mentally working through a very complex problem. 

"What does the rest of the Order have to say about this?" Harry questioned, turning his attention back to the Headmaster.  "Do they want to just hand Ron and Hermione over too?"

"The Order is not aware of our current dilemma," Dumbledore responded, almost reluctantly.  "There is another matter that you were not made privy to during your link with Voldemort.  It would seem that there was a third person present during Professor Snape's summons."

"I never saw a third person," Harry muttered, casting a suspicious look towards Snape.

"That is because the Dark Lord never looked directly at the person in question," the Potions Master snarled.  

"Who is it?" Ron asked, wondering how the presence of another person made a difference in regards to the orders given by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"We do not know, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore answered.  "However, it is this unknown person that has come forward and accused Professor Snape of being a traitor to Voldemort's cause.  That is why he has been instructed to bring the two of you before him. By doing such a thing, Professor Snape will be thwarting my own instructions to protect the students within these walls and thereby risking his own safety. However, should he fail to carry out this task then he will be labeled as a traitor by Voldemort.  The Order will lose their only connection within Voldemort's Inner Circle and Professor Snape will lose his life.  I would say that these are very dire consequences indeed and let me assure you that the stakes in this game of war are very high."

"How does this person know about Professor Snape's involvement with the Order of the Phoenix?" Hermione asked, looking questioningly between the Headmaster and the Head of Slytherin. "Wouldn't they have to be connected with the Order to be privy to such information?" 

_'Leave it to the girl to bypass everything and head straight to the most important question of all,'_ Snape grimaced, though he was impressed by such an astute observation.

"Very good, Miss Granger," the Headmaster praised, "that is a question that we have been unable to answer ourselves thus far.  It is also the reason that I have not involved anyone from the Order in this particular matter.  We cannot risk our plans being divulged to Voldemort."

"And if you were to call a meeting and the spy is someone within the Order, then they would be able to report back to Voldemort," Hermione reasoned, thinking out loud.  "Even if they weren't part of the meeting and didn't know the details, the fact that a meeting was called so soon after Professor Snape's return to Hogwarts would be suspect and Voldemort's suspicions would be confirmed.  We would be walking into a trap on Saturday and all three of us would probably end up dead… or worse!"

"And now you understand the gravity of the situation, Miss Granger," Dumbledore intoned softly, staring at the young woman with a look of pride.

"Gosh, 'Mione!" Ron whistled, his expression somewhat dumbfounded.  "I never thought of it like that."

Snape let out a sound that was something between a derisive snort and a cough at the young man's comment. However, the remaining occupants of the room remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. 

"Okay, so you want to let Professor Snape take them to Voldemort," Harry stated, turning his attention back to his most immediate concern.  "How do you plan on getting them out of there once he's seen them and is convinced that Professor Snape hasn't betrayed him?"

"We could use the _Polyjuice Potion_!" Ron announced, his eyes full of hope. 

"I'm afraid that such a thing will not be possible, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore answered with an apologetic look on his wrinkled face.  

"Why not?" Harry demanded.  "I think it's a great idea.  You could get two Aurors to take the _Polyjuice Potion_ and disguise themselves as Ron and Hermione. The potion is only good for an hour but that should be enough time for them to convince Voldemort that Snape is still on his side."

"It won't work, Potter, because the Dark Lord can smell a lie," Snape said with an authoritative voice, choosing to ignore the young man's disregard of his professional title. 

"But _you_ lie to him all of the time and he hasn't suspected you until now. And that's only because someone ratted you out, " Ron argued. 

"That is different, Weasley," Snape spat. "The Dark Lord has suspected me of such a thing on numerous occasions.  However, I have been able to assuage his suspicions through the use of Occlumency; a skill that has taken many years to master."   

"Professor Snape is correct," Dumbledore interjected in an attempt to maintain peace. "Even though many of the Aurors have had training in such matters, it is basic at best.  They would not be able to sustain the illusion for more than a few moments at most, as Voldemort is far too skilled at Legilimency.  They would not be able to buy Professor Snape enough time to convince Lord Voldemort of his allegiance and everyone would end up dead… or worse."

The students grimaced, recognizing the Headmaster's deliberate use of Hermione's own words.  It was a tactic that emphasized the gravity of the situation in a way that nothing else would.  

"He's right, Ron," Hermione said, laying a gentle hand on her friend's knee in a gesture of support.  "There is no other way to convince Voldemort.  It has to be us."

Ron looked closely at his long-time friend and saw the seriousness within her eyes.  She truly believed this was the best option for all concerned and he believed in her.  After all, her levelheaded thinking had saved them on more than one occasion.  It was at that moment that he knew what he had to do.  He was a Gryffindor and even though he didn't like the thought of everything that might go wrong with this particular scenario, he would stand up and face it for the sake of his friends.  Harry needed protecting, Hermione needed the comfort of knowing she was not alone, and the Order needed their most valuable spy.  _'But why did it have to be Snape?'_ he wondered, convinced beyond all doubt that the Gods were currently enjoying a great laugh at his expense.   

"Alright, we'll do it," the red-haired young man muttered resolutely to no one in particular.  

His proclamation brought a smile to the Headmaster's face while earning him a raised eyebrow from Snape and a gentle hug from Hermione.  Harry's look of concern never faltered, but he did offer an abrupt nod of his head before returning his attention to the Headmaster.  It was time to work out the remaining details of Dumbledore's plan now that his friends had committed themselves to such potential danger.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

 Author's Note:  A special 'thank you' (as always) to OzRatbag2 for taking the time to beta this chapter for me.  I really appreciate it!  For those of you who have not checked out her stories here at FF.Net, please do so.  They are excellent and you will not be disappointed!  For my readers and reviewers:  Thank you for your continued support.  I did have one reader ask me if I was aware that FF.Net has this story is listed under Snape/Hermione. I don't want to give too much away for other readers so I'll simply say that I am aware of the pairing that the story listed under.  smile  

~Jules


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Seven~

"I can't believe he actually deducted House Points!" Pansy Parkinson whined. She looked at the young man sitting next to her, with a childish pout on her face that was intended to gain his sympathy. Cuddling next to him, she intertwined her fingers with his and continued her self-induced pity party. "He never deducts points from us."

"Relax, love," Blaise soothed, giving the distraught girl a quick kiss on the forehead. He rested his head on top of her own and grinned at her obvious ploys to gain his attention. "Right now, we have more important things to worry about."

"What could be more important than our own Head of House treating us as if we were no better than those goody Gryffindors?" she wailed, giving an indignant gasp when he pulled his hand away from her own to pull two identical pieces of parchment from the pocket of his school robes.  "What are those?"

"These are letters from Lucius Malfoy," he told her, knowing that his statement would pique her interest.  A devious expression momentarily flitted across his facial features as he continued to tell her about his find.  "They were waiting for us in our rooms when I returned from dinner this evening.  After reading mine, I took the liberty of sneaking into your room to check if you had received one also.  Good thing too as we wouldn't want these to fall into the wrong hands."

Pansy's tears dried up as quickly as they had begun and she greedily snatched one of the parchments from her lover's hand.  After reading the neatly scripted words, she turned her attention back to Blaise and shook her head in disbelief.  "He wants us to spy on our Head of House?" she questioned incredulously.

"It would appear so," he answered frowning.  "He seems to think that Professor Snape has turned against the Dark Lord and sided with Dumbledore."

"Blaise Zabini, nowhere in this letter does Draco's father say that he thinks Professor Snape has turned his back on us," she admonished, thankful they were the only Slytherins in the boys dormitory.  The senior Malfoy would be less than pleased if news of his correspondence were to reach the wrong ears and Pansy was smart enough to know that in Hogwart's, the wrong ears were everywhere_.  'Thank Merlin, they didn't put one of those nosy, gossiping portraits in here!'  _

"No, he doesn't actually say it, but he may as well have," the Slytherin answered with an impatient shake of his head.  "Think about it. He orders us to watch Professor Snape and report back in dealings he has with Weasley and Granger.  Obviously, the Dark Lord has given the Professor some sort of order explicitly pertaining to the two of them.  If Draco's dad trusted Professor Snape, then he wouldn't have told us to watch him."

"Or Lucius Malfoy wasn't informed of the details of Professor Snape's orders and is trying to find out what is going on," Pansy argued.

"Possibly," Blaise conceded.  "But given the fact that the Head of Slytherin just deducted points from his own House, something that he never does, it does seem rather suspect."

"Now you're imagining things," she argued, becoming irritated with the entire conversation in general and the bald reminder of the recently lost points. 

"Am I?" her Slytherin counterpart asked.  "Maybe the Professor's loyalties have changed and he's gone soft.  Maybe he'll start trying to protect Harry Potter and the other Gryffindors and forget about his commitment to us."

"Or maybe he just had a headache or he was busy thinking about whatever orders the Dark Lord gave him and snapped at the first person available," she argued, enjoying her role as Devil's Advocate.  "It's not like he's the most sociable person you know. Either way, I don't think he would turn on us in favor of a Weasley and an ugly Mudblood.  He hates them.  Lucius Malfoy is probably just trying to dig up information.  You know how he prides himself on knowing every little thing that happens if it involves the Dark Lord."

"Perhaps," the young man replied, obviously unconvinced by Pansy's argument. He pulled out his wand and grabbed both parchments, laying them on a nearby table. "_Incendio_," he murmured, destroying any indication of their instructions. It wouldn't be prudent to leave evidence of their relationship with the older Malfoy or the Dark Lord lying around.  In truth, he was surprised no one had said anything so far about their allegiance to the Master although he theorized that perhaps they had their Head of House to thank for that.  Only time would tell if Lucius Malfoy was correct in his suspicions about the brooding Slytherin, but until then he and Pansy would have to follow orders and maintain a discreet eye on Professor Severus Snape. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Okay, so they'll have to accompany Professor Snape," Harry acquiesced. "But what if Voldemort tries to use Legilimency on them? If trained Aurors are unable to withstand his methods then how are they supposed to do so?  They've had no training whatsoever in Occlumency and they could very easily end up confirming Voldemort's suspicions about Snape working for the Order.  They'd all be killed."

Dumbledore was just about to correct the careless manner in which Harry had referred to the Potions Master when the man himself began to speak. 

"They will have to be Obliviated prior to leaving Hogwarts," Snape replied, casting a look toward the young man as if such an answer should have been obvious even to a first year student.   

"Obliviated?" Ron screeched and looked at the Headmaster, silently asking if he would actually allow such a travesty.  He remembered all to well how a poorly delivered _Obliviate_ could backfire thanks to the events of his second year.  Although he didn't think either Dumbledore or Snape were anywhere near the level of incompetence that Gilderoy Lockhart lay claim to, he still wasn't comfortable with the thought of anyone messing around with his memories. 

"If you were to be Obliviated of any memories you have concerning the Order and my association with the Dark Lord, then there would be no danger of him discovering information that would be detrimental to our Cause," the Potions Master stated in a bored tone of voice.  

The Headmaster glanced at Hermione and frowned when he noticed the sickly pallor her skin had taken on. He knew that she was a young woman that prided herself on her mental faculties and he had no doubt that she would see an _Obliviate_ as a form of mind invasion.  "Perhaps a less potent memory charm would do just as well."

"Headmaster, with all due respect, I don't see how we can risk such information to a lesser memory charm…" Snape began but was cut off by a sharp look from Dumbledore and an almost imperceptible nod of his bearded head toward the Head Girl. 

Severus allowed his eyes to follow the direction indicated by the Wizard and realized why he was suddenly advocating the use of a less powerful charm.  Of course, the Know-It-All wouldn't want anyone tampering with her mind.  He was almost offended that she seemed to think so little of his abilities to cast a proper _Obliviate_ when some small portion of his conscience spoke up to remind him that he would not like the thought of having such a spell cast upon himself either.  

"Will our memories be returned once this is over?" Hermione asked. She had been so caught up in her own inner struggle at the news that she was completely unaware of the silent exchange that had just taken place between the Headmaster and her Potions Professor. 

"I don't see why not, although it can be an uncomfortable process," Dumbledore assured her in a kindly manner.   

"Uncomfortable?" Harry questioned, noticing the wary expression on Ron's face.  "Why would it be uncomfortable?"

"It all depends upon the amount of memories that must be removed," the Headmaster explained, glad to see that the question, being of an academic interest, had served to focus Hermione's attention on the conversation at hand rather than her fears.  "The more memories that are taken, the more difficult it is for the Wizard or Witch in question to readjust once they are replaced."

"Sort of like having everything thrown at you all at once then?" Ron asked.

"Exactly, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied with a smile.  "Rest assured, we will replace the memories just as soon as it is safe to do so."

"I don't like it," Harry announced, a grim expression on his face.

"Perhaps you would prefer the Dark Lord knowing the location of the Order's headquarters, Mr. Potter?" Snape suggested, the timbre of his voice deep and silky.  "Or perhaps you would prefer that he discover the identities of its members? Members such as Molly and Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin."

"Severus, that will be enough!" the Headmaster warned, his eyes flashing with anger.  

"They need to know what they are risking if they fail to follow orders!" Snape exclaimed.  "This is not one of their jaunts around the castle in which they huddle under an Invisibility Cloak and raid my stores!  The information they hold within those senseless heads of theirs could cost many people their lives and ultimately be used to turn the tide of this war to the Dark Lord's favor.  We have passed the point of childish games. Too much is riding on their abilities and I, for one, do not intend to sit here and placate them by telling them that everything will turn out just fine, regardless of their actions."

His tirade resulted in an outburst of indignation from both Ron and Harry that took several minutes for the Headmaster to appease. Finally, it was Hermione that spoke up, moving the meeting past the petty squabbling with her quiet words of acceptance.  

"You can be certain, Professor, that neither Ron nor myself would wish to cause harm to the Order or its members or anyone else for that matter. In addition, however childish you may think us to be, we will do our best to counter any suspicions Voldemort has regarding your loyalties to him," the young Witch said softly, glaring darkly at the Potions Master with a vehement look that could easily rival his own on one of his best days.  "However, just because we choose to participate, does not mean that we are mindless simpletons that have no opinion on the matters at hand.  We realize the severity of the situation but you cannot expect us to just calmly accept everything that we have heard thus far this evening without concern or question.  As far as removing our memories, we will allow a partial _Obliviate_ on the express condition that they be returned to us, in their entirety, upon our return."

Snape, who was incredulous at her impertinent behavior and inwardly seething in response to being addressed in the manner of an errant child, opened his mouth to deliver a scathing reply but never had a chance to utter the words that reached his lips before Hermione interrupted him.  "I do not mean that our memories will be replaced when 'it is safe to do so' as that could be construed to be at any given point in the future which you deem best.  I am not prepared to wait indefinitely.  Invading our minds and removing our memories is a courtesy, which we are extending for the sake of yourself and the Order. You will extend the same courtesy to us by being mature enough to grant this request. Do I make myself clear?"

"I think we all understand one another, do we not?" Dumbledore interjected, sensing that the Potions Master was teetering on the brink of hexing the Witch.  Looking at the man in question, Albus was chagrined to find Snape locked in a heated staring match with the young woman, neither one seeming to want to be the first to back down.  Under different circumstances he would have laughed at the scene playing out before him as very few people dared risk angering the Slytherin and even fewer risked his wrath by speaking back to him.  Miss Granger, it seemed, had no qualms about doing either and Dumbledore wondered, if the stakes were high enough, which one of their tempers would win out over the other.  _'This is not the time for frivolous musings,'_ he sternly admonished his inner child.  Still, the elderly Wizard felt a sadistic twinge of humor in the fact that someone dared give back to Severus that which he so easily dished out. 

"Okay," Harry interrupted, worried for his friend and sensing the need to turn everyone's attention back to the problem at hand.  "We know that Professor Snape will take them to Voldemort, and that a memory charm will be cast on each of them before they go.  How do you plan on getting them out of there without giving away the Professor's cover?"

"That is indeed a most excellent question, Harry," Dumbledore answered.  "Professor Snape will unobtrusively leave the grounds with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley directly after dinner on Saturday.  At that time, he will deliver them to Voldemort thereby maintaining his cover as that of a loyal Death Eater.  Once Voldemort is secure in his beliefs that Professor Snape has followed his instructions, a diversion will be created allowing Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley an opportunity to escape."

"And how exactly are we supposed to escape?" Ron questioned doubtfully.  "Even if there aren't any other Death Eaters, we still have to get away from He-Who… Oh never mind.  We still have to get away from You Know Who!"

"Quite right, Mr. Weasley," the Headmaster acknowledged, trying not to laugh at the young man's timidity at murmuring Voldemort's name.  "You will each be given small Portkeys that will be kept on your person at all times. These devices will be activated at the appropriate time and deliver you directly to Grimmauld Place as you may not be safe here at Hogwarts."

"But if Voldemort uses Legilimency on us, isn't it possible that he will find out about the Portkeys?" Hermione asked, voicing concern at the Headmaster's plan. 

"Yes, it is," the Wizard replied, shaking his head approvingly of her question.  "That is why we have a decision to make in regards to how we want to utilize the Portkeys to avoid such an occurrence. First, we could cast a memory charm and then plant the memory that Harry gave them to you with strict instructions that you were not to tell anyone.  This however, would not allow you much time to speak the incantation to get yourselves out of there should he discover this option."

"And the second option?" Harry asked suspiciously. 

"We use the memory charm to erase their memories of the Portkeys and Professor Snape will have to cast the incantation at the appropriate time," Dumbledore finished softly.

"What if something happens to Professor Snape before he can cast the incantation?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Then you will be trapped in the Dark Lord's grasp," the Potions Master replied, gaining a certain sense of childish satisfaction in watching the blood drain from her face as comprehension dawned.  

"Severus!" Dumbledore admonished. 

"I was merely answering Miss Granger's rather astute question, Headmaster," Snape replied calmly, allowing a placating smile to grace his lips.  "After all, she has a right to know and she did ask."

"Thank you, Professor Snape," Hermione replied bitingly, glaring daggers at the smirking man. "It's nice to know that you will always have our best interests at heart."

"Of that you need not have any doubt, Miss Granger," Severus replied easily enough.

"Hmmmf." 

The group turned their attention to Ron, who was trying to mask the grunt of disbelief behind a trembling hand.  "Sorry," he offered, looking anything but apologetic at his outburst.

"What do you plan on using as a distraction, Headmaster?" Hermione asked, hoping that at least this part of the Wizard's plan was better thought out than their escape route.

Albus looked a little uncomfortable, a state Hermione and Ron had never expected to see of the Headmaster.  Harry remembered a similar event at the end of their fifth year when he spoke with the Wizard after the confrontation at the Ministry with Voldemort's Death Eaters. Seeing the same expressions on the Wizard's face now, didn't fill him with confidence.  

"That part of the plan is still to be decided," the Headmaster answered.

"Still to be decided?" Ron screeched, unimpressed by the entire discussion.  After all, this was Albus Dumbledore, Wizard Extraordinaire, who was famed for his previous encounters with Grindelwald. _'Maybe the history books got it all wrong? At the rate this plan is coming together, we'd have a better shot listening to Fred and George.'_  

"What do you mean this part of the plan is still to be decided?" Harry demanded, standing up once again as a blind rage swept through him.  "These are my friends, Headmaster, and they are in this situation because of me. I don't want them to do this but you've already stated your case as to how important it is that they do so.  The least you could do is come up with a solid plan for getting them out of there."

"Please, Harry" Dumbledore pleaded with the irate Gryffindor, "sit down and we will further discuss this."  

"Discuss what?" the Boy-Who-Lived demanded, refusing to be placated.  "It doesn't sound like there's much of anything to discuss.  You've already decided to send Ron and Hermione into the snake pit in order to protect Snape's cover for the Order.  Fine.  I hate it but as Hermione said, there doesn't seem to be a way out of it. Now you tell us that they are going to be sent in, under the disadvantage of a memory charm, and most likely end up relying on Snape to get them safely out of there.  But what happens if he can't get them safely out of there?  What happens if he doesn't get a chance to discretely activate the Portkey?  What if it's a trap and Voldemort kills him anyway leaving Ron and Hermione completely at the mercy of the Death Eaters?  Have you thought about any of that, Headmaster? Have you really thought about what you're asking of them? You could very well be sending them to their deaths and I, for one, am not just going to stand by and watch it happen!"

"That's enough, Potter!" Snape bellowed, rising to his full height and towering over the boy with a thunderous expression on his face. 

"It is alright, Severus," Dumbledore said wearily, motioning for them both to sit back down. "He has a right to be concerned."

Ron and Hermione looked to one another, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.  Neither one liked the thought of what lay ahead at the end of the week but there really was no other choice in the matter.  The Order of the Phoenix had to be protected and they all knew enough to be a threat to its existence if this scenario didn't play out correctly.  

Dumbledore removed his glasses and took a deep breath before continuing.  He hated the fact that he had to place anyone in danger, but the thought of possibly sending innocent students to their deaths was taking its toll.  He knew that Harry was right when he pointed out the potential dangers to his friends and the truly terrible part of it all was that his list had only contained a few of the things that could go wrong.  The truth of the matter was that there were many more potentially disastrous and fatal scenarios that could become a reality on Saturday evening; scenarios that he hoped the young man and his friends didn't think of in the few remaining days allotted to them, lest they spend their time in the clutches of fear.  Returning the half-moon spectacles to his face, he addressed the students once again. 

"You are correct and perfectly justified in your concerns, Harry, and I would be quite worried at this point if you were anything less, considering the gravity of the situation we are now faced with. "However, while it is true that I have yet to determine a suitable distraction to allow Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to escape, I do have a 'Plan B' as the Muggles say, should it be necessary.  

"That's more like it," Ron sighed with relief and leaned back in his seat. 

"And what exactly does 'Plan B' entail?" Hermione inquired, deciding to speak before Harry's usually mild manner was replaced once again by his need to protect his friends.

"There is an old spell, Miss Granger, that, if cast properly, will allow a person to summon another to them," Dumbledore explained and smiled momentarily as he saw her eyes light up with obvious interest.  "This spell borders on the side of Dark Magic and requires an extreme amount of concentration and control, but it would override Voldemort's anti-Apparition wards and deliver the person being summoned directly to the caster."   

"Headmaster, you can't be referring to the _Perattrahere_ Spell?" Snape questioned in surprise. 

"I've read about that spell!" Hermione exclaimed, shrinking back slightly at the four people suddenly staring her way in response to her outburst. "Well, I have…"

"Why am I not surprised, Miss Granger, that even a spell that is practically classified as Dark Magic, would not be beyond your reading?" the Potions Master sneered, his facial expression particularly menacing as he glared at the girl. 

"What's so dangerous about this spell that makes it Dark Magic?" Harry asked, turning his attention from Hermione, who was once again glaring at Snape, to the Headmaster.

"It is a very difficult spell, Harry.  If the caster is weak or does not concentrate solely on the spell itself, then he could cause irreparable harm to both himself and the person that he or she is summoning," Dumbledore answered gravely.

"Headmaster," Severus protested, all too familiar with the spell in question though he had never had cause to cast it.  "It is dangerous enough to attempt to summon one person but to summon both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley at once would be sheer folly."

"Three people, Severus," the Headmaster replied quietly. Sensing that the Potions Master was getting ready to protest, he held up his hand to forestall any objections. "I will not debate this with you.  I would only cast the spell as a last resort but, should the need arise to do so, I will have to summon the three of you simultaneously as Voldemort will immediately guess your part in all of this.  He is no fool."

"How does the spell work?" Ron asked, not liking all of the talk about irreparable damage that was being brandished about. _'Still, it has to be better than staying with Voldemort if things go bad,'_ a voice argued from somewhere inside his head.  

Hermione was eager to answer the question having recalled her reading earlier in the year from one of the Restricted Section's darker books.  Biting back her response, lest Professor Snape cause her any further embarrassment in regards to her Know-It-All attitude, she folded her hands in her lap and sat quietly, waiting for the forthcoming explanation.

"It involves an exchange between the caster and the person to be summoned, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore began, trying not to smile at Hermione's obvious frustration.  "Miss Granger and Professor Snape, along with yourself, will each donate a few strands of hair that I will keep in my possession. In return, I will provide each of you with a talisman that you will keep hidden on your person.  This talisman will contain a piece of my own considerably gray hair.  The caster then begins the incantation, causing a bridge or connection to be formed between himself and the person to be summoned.  Once this link is established, the person is instantaneously Apparated to the caster's location."

"And this would pull them all away from Voldemort?" Harry asked, a bit skeptically.

"We would set a time limit beforehand.  If the deadline is reached and I have yet to hear from either Professor Snape, Miss Granger or Mr. Weasley, then I will cast the spell and summon them to me."

"How will you know if they need to be summoned earlier than the deadline?" the Boy-Who-Lived pressed on in an effort to assure himself that his friends would be all right.

"I won't," Dumbledore replied softly, staring intently at the agitated young man.  "It will be up to them to do what they must, prior to the deadline."

"But…"

"There are no 'buts', Potter," Snape interrupted, obviously exasperated by the boy's pushing for a guarantee that could not be given. "There are risks involved no matter how much planning we do.  The best we can hope for is that things run smoothly and that Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley will take advantage of whatever distraction may come their way, so that they may Portkey safely to headquarters."

"He's right, Harry," Albus said with a sad smile.  "I wish I could guarantee that everything will go according to plan, but you and I both know that such a thing is simply not possible.  I can promise you however, that Professor Snape and I will do everything within our power to protect your friends."

"It will be fine, Harry," Hermione assured him, softly patting his back.  "We'll be alright."

"Right," Ron chimed in attempting to be supportive even though his words were a little less sure than Hermione's. 

"Well then," Dumbledore said, standing from behind the desk, "It is getting late and I'm certain that you all still have homework for tomorrow's classes. We will meet again toward the end of the week to finalize our plans but, until then, please try to go about your business as you normally would. Also, I must ask that you refrain from discussing this matter in places that you may be overheard. We cannot risk anyone discovering what we have discussed." 

"Yes, Headmaster," the three students agreed, before leaving the office to head back to their Common Room. 

"I don't like it, Albus," Snape said once the students had vacated the room. The tension brewing in the depths of his dark eyes clearly visible and the Headmaster could see just how worried the younger man was.

"Neither do I, Severus, but what choice is there?  Voldemort has quite effectively sandwiched us between the proverbial rock and a hard place and there are very few options remaining to us," the tired Wizard replied.

"We could forego the plan entirely and move Granger and Weasley to a safe location on Saturday morning, or even after classes on Friday afternoon," the Potions Master replied, knowing that it would assure the Gryffindors remained free from the Dark Lord's clutches.  

"That would be signing your death warrant, Severus, and I am not prepared to do such a thing," Dumbledore answered, looking to his friend with a hint of sadness. "Besides, you know as well as I how critical the information is that you have been providing us with.  We need to try and keep that source of information available as long as possible. Too much depends upon it."

"There is still too much that could go wrong and too much left to chance," Snape argued.  "Potter's emotional status would all but render him useless if something were to happen to his side-kicks and the Dark Lord would have achieved his goal.  Their deaths would have been in vain, were the worst to happen."

"Then we will have to see to it that the worst does not happen to either you or Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore remarked with a touch of finality, knowing that his decision could be nothing else.  "Besides, Harry might just surprise you.  Sometimes, the worst calamities create the strongest of men."

"Let us just hope that we need not test that piece of wisdom in the near future," the Potions Master replied darkly before bidding the Headmaster a brief good night and exiting the office.

"Let us hope not…" Dumbledore agreed, now alone in the room with the fiery colored Phoenix that now slept peacefully on its perch. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

**Author's Note: ** Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed the last chapter (and to Rosmerta for pointing out a few errors that have now been corrected J  ).  I am glad to hear that people enjoyed it.  A special thank you goes out to OzRatbag2 for taking the time to beta this chapter.  As always, she has managed to correct the things that I have missed and keep me from humiliating myself too terribly. G  I would also like to take a moment to extend a heartfelt word of thanks to Pigwidgeon for coming up with a proper Latin name (Perattrahere Spell) for the summoning spell that Dumbledore speaks of towards the end of the chapter. 

**A final note:**  This will probably be the last update for several weeks as I have jumped off the deep end and entered myself in the NaNoWriMo challenge (National Novelists Month).  This challenge calls for writers to write at least 50,000 words of a story between November 1st and November 30th.  The writer cannot begin actually writing the story any earlier than November 1st  so I'm sure you all can imagine how those off us that entered are frantically typing away at our keyboards!  Rest assured that I plan to update on a fairly regular basis as soon as this challenge is over. 

And now I will step back and try to avoid the rotten produce section that I foresee being tossed my way as a result of that last announcement VBG  As always, thanks for reading and please kindly leave a review on your way out.

~Jules      


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Eight~

The following day had been a long one as far as the trio was concerned.  Having just less than two weeks remaining in the school year was enough to cause the seventh years' thoughts to drift, as all too soon they would be expected to take their places in the Wizarding World and become productive members of society.  Thank Merlin they had completed their NEWTs the previous week!

"I still don't like it," Ron declared as soon as he and Harry had followed Hermione into the Head Girl's room and closed the door.  Not having to share her space with the other seventh year girls in Gryffindor had been the biggest perk to becoming Head Girl as far as Hermione had been concerned, and the trio often took advantage of this fact by using the room when they wanted to discuss something without being disturbed.

Hermione gave her disgruntled friend a warning glance and quickly took out her wand.  Several seconds later she was swishing and flicking while at the same time uttering an unfamiliar incantation.  "There, that's better," she said with no small amount of satisfaction as she returned her wand to its usual resting place. 

"Um, what's better, Hermione?" Harry asked, nervously glancing around the room in an effort to see what she had done.  One was never certain where Hermione and magic were concerned as the young Witch was constantly trying out new spells that she had either heard or read about.  Usually such attempts went off without a hitch but every once in a while an unexpected something or other would occur; like the time she had mispronounced one of the words to a new spell and they had ended up face to face with an irate Bengal Tiger rather than the morphing floor cushions she had been aiming for.

"I just placed a Silencing Spell on the room so that no one will overhear our conversation," she explained in a manner that clearly stated she thought they should have already figured out such a fact for themselves.  

"Wait a minute, Hermione," Ron protested.  "I know how to cast a Silencing Spell and whatever you just did was not it."

"Correction, Ron, you know how to cast a _standard_ Silencing Spell and considering the importance of our upcoming conversation, I didn't think it was wise to rely on such a widely known spell so I cast the same spell that Dumbledore cast on the Gryffindor Common Room just before Harry told us about what he saw through his link with Voldemort."

"You cast a stronger spell?" Harry asked. 

"Yes, I figured that the Headmaster must have been casting some sort of Silencing Spell as he wouldn't want to risk anyone walking in and overhearing what was being said.  I didn't recognize the spell though so I went to the library last night after we got back and did some research. It's quite effective and much more powerful than the standard spell."

"We're going to have to get you to teach us that one some time, Hermione," the Boy-Who-Lived told her with a smile.  

"Well now that everything's _secure_… let me repeat myself: I DON'T LIKE IT!"

"Which part don't you like, Ron? Harry questioned, knowing that his own feelings mirrored those of his hot-tempered friend.

"All of it.  I don't like one bit of it, Harry, and I'm not too impressed with the _'plan'_ that Dumbledore has come up with," their red haired companion answered.  "If you ask me, he doesn't have any more of an idea as to how to handle this situation than we do and somehow that's not very reassuring."

"We're just going to have to stick together and keep our wits about us, that's all."

"But, Hermione," Ron protested, "How are we supposed to do that when our memories have been Obliviated?"

"And seeing that it will probably be Snape that casts the _Obliviate_, I hardly think there will be a chance of it not taking properly and leaving you in possession of some of your memories," Harry grimaced, still upset with the very thought of entrusting his two closest friends to the care of the Potions Master.  

"It will be fine, Harry," Hermione insisted in a no-nonsense tone of voice.  "You're going to have to get over your mistrust of Professor Snape and believe that he will do his very****best to protect us.  We all have to believe that or this plan, such as it is, will be doomed to fail before it even has a chance to get off the ground.  Besides, Professor Snape may be a sarcastic, mean spirited man, but he couldn't have made it this far as a spy for the Order unless he had some idea how to remain calm and think under pressure.  If a problem arises then I'm sure that he'll take care of it in the most efficient manner available to him at the time."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Harry muttered, still unconvinced by her words. "What if trouble arises and he looks after himself first and foremost?"

"Somehow I don't think that will happen," Hermione insisted.  "He's proven his loyalty time after time to Dumbledore and from what you described through your link with Voldemort, Snape isn't exactly having an easy time of it by playing the role of a double agent.  Plus there's the fact that he has saved you more than once since we've been at Hogwarts, despite his personal dislike.  No, I think that he will do what's best for us if push comes to shove. There's also the fact that he didn't look too thrilled with Dumbledore's plan either."

"I can give you three reasons for that, Hermione," Ron told her, lifting up three fingers and counting each reason off, one by one.  "You, me and Harry.  There are your three reasons.  It has nothing to do with the plan except for the fact that Dumbledore has told him that he has to watch over us." 

"Enough of this," Hermione snapped.  "So he doesn't like us.  That's not exactly surprising considering the fact that we aren't too fond of him either.  However, I still say that if this plan is to succeed then we are going to have to put aside our differences and work together.  Now, we need more of a backup plan than Dumbledore's Summoning Spell since that will only work if we fail to make it back by a pre-determined timeframe. So what can we do to help ourselves get out of there before a Summoning Spell is necessary?"

The trio thought long and hard, each silent as they wracked their brains for possible solutions.  

"Extra wands."  They were two words, softly spoken by the Boy-Who-Lived, but they carried with them a quiet, steadfast conviction.

"What?" Ron asked, confused by his cryptic words.

"Extra wands," Harry reiterated.  "We need to get our hands on a couple of extra wands and hide them on each of you.  Snape will be required to hand over your real wands to Voldemort as a sign of good faith and they will believe that you're defenseless.  So what if we could get our hands on a couple of extra wands that no one knows about?"

"And how do you propose to do such a thing without anyone finding out about it?" Hermione asked, looking expectantly at the two boys.  "You know that Mr. Ollivander is required to register every wand he sells with the Ministry of Magic so that the actions of the wand owner can be monitored if necessary."

"That could be a problem," Harry conceded, a frown marring his forehead.   

"We'll just have to get them from someone else then," Ron declared a moment later with the faintest hint of hope gleaming in his eyes.

"And who would you suggest?" Hermione questioned crossly, aggravated at the fact that they seemed to be wasting valuable time on such an impossible solution. "It's not as if anyone dealing in illegal, not to mention _unregistered_, wands is going to advertise in the Daily Prophet. Besides, the wand chooses the wizard, remember?  We have to be there to pick them out otherwise we run the risk of not being able to use them at all."

A memory flashed unbidden through Harry's mind of himself as an eleven-year boy picking out his first wand.  He remembered the chaos that an improperly fitted wand could cause and shuddered at the prospect of his friends trusting their lives to such a scenario.  

"Fred and George know a Wizard that deals with that sort of thing," Ron said emphatically.  "I know because I heard them talking about how they needed to get their hands on some 'hard to find' items last summer.  Mind you, it won't be cheap though."

"I can cover the price," Harry assured them.  "I still have most of the galleons I withdrew over the Christmas holidays so it shouldn't be a problem. Tell them to find the most generic wands they can.  We may have to risk the consequences of a badly fitted wand if we can't come up with a better plan."

"Well it's better than nothing and better than depending entirely on Snape," Ron insisted. "I'll owl Fred and George and tell them what we need.  I just hope they don't let it slip to Mum though.  She'd skin us alive I tell you!"

"Ron, tell them that we need the wands immediately and not to mention it to anyone.  If they ask what this is all about then tell them that we'll be happy to explain it all after the school year ends," Harry instructed.  

"But shouldn't we tell Professor Snape so that he's not completely unaware?" Hermione asked.

"No!" both boys answered at once.  "If Snape knows about the wands he'll either take them away from you or make certain that he _Obliviates_ such knowledge when he casts the memory charm.   If he doesn't know that you have them then he can't take them away and he can't take your memories of them away either."

"I think that you're being paranoid," Hermione huffed, arms crossed in front of her chest as she eyed her two companions doubtfully.

"This is Snape, Hermione, and Harry's right. We need to be able to defend ourselves in case something really bad happens."

"Okay fine, we carry extra wands and don't tell anyone.  Have you considered the fact that if Voldemort realizes that we have extra wands then he might go after Professor Snape thinking that he's trying to deceive him?"

"It's a chance we're going to have to take," Harry declared, squirming a little at the conviction in Hermione's words and the faint twinge of his own conscience.  

"Fine," she agreed, uncomfortable with the thought of going off and planning on their own.  Wasn't this what Snape had warned them about last night?  Didn't he say that there was too much at stake for them to think they could handle it alone? Taking a deep breath, she pushed her trepidation aside and joined her friends in the difficult task of devising a plan that would allow them to accomplish their mission without getting anyone killed. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Miss Granger, perhaps you would care to enlighten me as to why, after seven years, you persist in completing Mr. Longbottom's work for him despite my repeated instructions to the contrary?"

Hermione looked up from her place next to Neville and quietly studied the tall, dark haired man that was currently towering over her wearing an expression that all but dared her to answer back.  A mischievous voice housed in a dark corner somewhere in her mind urged her to do just that and for a brief moment she entertained the notion of telling the Potions Master off just this once.  After all, she would only have to face his wrath for another week and a half and then she could say goodbye and good riddance to his domineering manner once and for all.  A small sigh escaped her lips as she reluctantly squashed the idea and settled for what she hoped was a neutral look that would serve to keep Snape's formidable temper at bay.  As much as she would like to speak her mind and tell him exactly what she thought about his teaching methods, she knew that this was neither the time nor the place as such an action would result in robbing Gryffindor of an unreasonable number of House Points; points that they desperately needed to hang on to as they were neck and neck with Slytherin for the coveted House Cup.  

Mistaking her unintentional sigh and her continued silence as defiance, Snape allowed his face to twist into an expression of undisguised pleasure.  "Well, Miss Granger, it would seem that not only are you incapable of following orders, but you are also incapable of answering a simple question as well.  Perhaps a deduction of thirty House Points and a detention this Saturday afternoon will help you learn such basic skills?"

A round of snickering could be heard from the Slytherins on the other side of the classroom while several agonized groans resounded from the Gryffindors.  Raising an eyebrow and flashing a self-satisfied smirk in her direction, the Potions Master turned and headed back toward the front of the class.  He came to an abrupt halt when he heard Ron's voice echo throughout the dungeon room.

"But that's our last Hogsmeade weekend!"

Snape walked over to where the complaining Gryffindor sat, his steps slow and deliberate in a manner intended to intimidate, and stopped just in front of Ron and Harry.  

"It is reassuring to know that you have learned something in your time here at Hogwarts, Mr. Weasley, even if it is only the most rudimentary skill of marking the days of the week and keeping track of your social calendar."

This brought another round of malicious laughter from the Slytherins as Harry kicked his friend under the table in the hopes that Ron would understand his not too subtle warning to keep quiet lest they find themselves in even more trouble.

Letting his temper get the better of him and ignoring Harry's warning, the angry young man glared at Snape and had just opened his mouth to deliver what he hoped was a scathing comment when the Potions Master interrupted him.

"Seeing that you seem to feel so strongly about the timing of Miss Granger's detention, not to mention the fact that she will be unable to accompany you to Hogsmeade, it would only seem fitting that you remain behind this Saturday to keep her company.  I will expect you both in my office promptly at 2:00 o'clock." 

Ron tossed his quill down on the desk in an angry gesture and flashed a glare at the snickering Slytherins.  He'd had enough of Snape's prejudiced behavior against Gryffindors and wanted nothing more than to tell both him and his precious Slytherins off once and for all.  If it hadn't been for the looks of warning from both Harry and Hermione, he probably would have done so and just accepted the consequences. His thoughts were interrupted as the Potion Master's voice echoed back at him from the stone walls of the dungeon class one final time.     

"By the way, Mr. Weasley, that will be twenty points from Gryffindor for showing a flagrant lack of respect toward a Professor." Turning his back on the speechless young man, he returned to the front of the class and continued his lecture on the attributes of the Mind Enhancing potion which they would be expected to brew during their next potions lesson in two days time.

No one noticed the covert looks being passed back and forth between two of the Slytherin students or how they continued to closely watch the actions of the their Head of House and the Gryffindor trio throughout the remainder of the class. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC 

Author's Note:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  

First of all, my apologies for taking so incredibly long to update this story but unfortunately real life (in the form of illness, hard drive crashes and holidays) decided to rear its ugly head and intervene.  Many thanks to you all for both your patience and the wonderful reviews that you have left in support of this story.  The illness still remains at this time, but I will do my best to update in a more timely fashion.  And, last but definitely not least, I'd like to send out thanks to Ozratbag2 for taking the time to toil over this chapter and tidy it up!

~Jules    


	10. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Nine~

Susan Bones was getting more than a little tired of waiting for her boyfriend of nearly a year, but she had finally come to accept that waiting around was just another part of the 'privilege' (as so many people seemed to see it) of dating the Boy-Who-Lived.  Not that she was really complaining as Harry had always been more than considerate during their relationship and they had grown to truly care about one another.  So much so that they had spoken of marriage upon more than one occasion during the past few months.  She sighed knowing that, though they may speak of it, Harry would never actually propose while the threat of the Dark Lord hung over their heads as he feared she would be one of the first people on the Death Eaters' list that would be used against him.

"It's bad enough that Hermione and Ron insist on allowing themselves to be placed in that position, despite my better judgment," he had argued time after time, "but I refuse to see you make the same mistake. I'm just not worth it!"

There had even been a few occasions, when the Dark Lord's minions had been especially active, that he had tried to call off the relationship entirely for her own well being.  But even though she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor, she was still as stubborn as anyone else and her Hufflepuff standing all but guaranteed her loyalty to those she loved.  And if she was truly honest with herself, not to mention everyone else, she would have to admit that she had fallen completely head over heels for the dark haired young man despite all of his dire warnings to the contrary.  The best part of it all was that she strongly suspected he returned her feelings one hundred percent.  

And that left her with waiting for him yet again so that they could spend a little time together before curfew went into effect for the evening. Now that the NEWTs were over and the Professors had stopped assigning homework in order to finish tallying the students' final grades, it was the perfect opportunity.  It really wasn't his fault that she was left waiting for him more often than not, but it seemed that every time they attempted to make arrangements for some time alone, someone or something usually got in the way.  Either it was some sort of meeting with Dumbledore regarding the Dark Lord, the Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape that he had reluctantly resumed at the start of the year, Quidditch problems with his teammates, or generally being a normal wizard and losing all track of time when he was with his friends; Ron and Hermione to be precise.  This week his continual tardiness had been a result of the latter reason, although she suspected there was more to the situation than met the eye.  The three friends had carried with them an air of apprehension throughout the week and while most people probably would never pick up on such a fact, Susan had become close enough to Harry and his best friends that she knew better.  She wished yet again that he would open up just a little and tell her what the problem was.  She might not be able to help, but at least it would put an end to both her constant worrying and overactive imagination, which was intent on conjuring all sorts of various possibilities as to the reason for the trio's current preoccupation. 

She sighed and glanced yet again at the round Muggle timepiece on her wrist that Harry had laughingly presented her with on her birthday. "Perhaps he should have purchased one for himself as well," the Hufflepuff grumbled before giving in to a good-natured laugh.

"Five more minutes," she decided, barely realizing that she had given voice to her thoughts.  Luckily there was no one around but the trees, the lake, and the giant squid or people might think that she was losing what little seemed to remain of her sanity, although she was certain she could safely argue that most of the seventh year students had undoubtedly become candidates for St Mungo's mental ward with it being the year of the dreaded NEWTs.  Oh well, maybe she really had finally stepped over the line considering that she could now add 'talking to herself' to her ever growing list of odd character quirks.  Still, if Harry didn't shown up within the next five minutes, she was heading back to the castle and making her way to the Great Hall.  She might be in love with the infamous Boy-Who-Lived, but she would be strung up and flogged if he, or any other wizard for that matter, was going to make her miss a Hogwarts supper!

/^\^/^\^/^\

"I can't believe that overgrown bat gave us detention on the last Hogsmeade weekend we'll ever have," Ron practically shouted, his face quickly becoming as red as the infamous Weasley hair, which sat atop his head.  "And to think, Hermione, you were defending the greasy git the other day!"

"I simply said that we have to trust him to do what's right.  I never claimed he would win any prizes in a Wizarding personality contest!" she retorted hotly, her temper still simmering from the uncalled for abuse that their Potions Professor had delighted in inflicting on both her and her friend in front of their classmates.  "Besides, he set us up deliberately."

"Oh sure, like that's something new!" Ron groused.  

"She's right, Ron," Harry interjected quietly, taking a seat on the overstuffed comforter resting atop Hermione's four-poster bed.  "Snape may be a right total bastard, but he just set the two of you up for Saturday evening in a way that won't arouse suspicion.  It was fairly brilliant too.  After all, who would question Snape giving detention to Gryffindors on the last weekend of the school year?  The fact that it's the final Hogsmeade weekend makes it all the more plausible."

"You mean he set us up so that no one would question our spending time with him this Saturday?" Ron asked, comprehension finally beginning to dawn. 

"Think about it, Ron," Harry urged.  "He only assigned detention to you and Hermione.  When does he ever miss a chance to give me detention?" 

"Never," the disgruntled young man replied.  "He usually provokes you into mouthing off and then hands you a detention as if he had nothing to do with the situation at all."

"Exactly, and yet he didn't pay me any attention at all today," Harry reminded them.  "In fact, he never even looked my direction or mentioned my name. It was like he was trying to make certain that he had no reason to bring me into the situation at all."

"That's a first," Ron mumbled with a grin.

"Yeah, too bad he couldn't have adopted such an attitude a few years ago under less dire circumstances. It would have saved a lot of elbow pain from scrubbing Neville's exploded cauldrons by hand during his detentions," Harry joked. 

"Not to mention the pain in my knees from bending over the floor and scrubbing up the stains left by Crabbe and Goyle's overflowing cauldrons," Ron grimaced. 

"Could we please get back to what's important here?" Hermione interrupted, eyebrow raised in an expression of impatience at the boys' unexpected walk down memory lane. 

The boys looked at one another and attempted a look of guilty contrition at Hermione's rebuke all the while trying to contain the laughter that threatened to overwhelm them.  The situation suddenly reminded Harry of another time just before the start of their second year when Ron and his brothers had rescued him from the Dursleys by means of a flying Ford Anglia.  The car ride had been one of the most memorable times of his life, as had the scolding Mrs. Weasley had bestowed upon her sons once they returned home.  Ron's father had been so interested in hearing the details of the forbidden car ride that he had almost landed straight into trouble himself until he caught Mrs. Weasley's warning glance and administered a less than stern rebuke to his mischievous sons.  Then, as now, they had found the situation to be more humorous than the ranting female of the group had intended.  

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry apologized with a boyish smile.  "I guess we just got carried away."

"Obviously," the Witch replied in an irritated tone of voice that held more haughtiness in it than she was probably aware of.  Bestowing her attention on the snickering redhead, she returned the conversation to the most pressing matter at hand.  "Ron, have you heard back from Fred and George yet about the wands?" 

"Yeah," he said after a moment's worth of silence as he bit into a chocolate frog that looked to have been sitting in his pocket for far too long.  He eyed the usually coveted card with an audible grimace and forcefully tossed it on the bed where it landed face up, displaying a picture of a grinning Gilderoy Lockhart that was busily preening, primping and posing for his unimpressed audience. "You'd think they would have stopped putting him on those things by now."

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, thoroughly exasperated at his short attention span, "What about _the wands_?"   

"Hmmm?  Oh yeah… I got an owl from Fred earlier this afternoon.  He says that he and George are to meet their contact this evening and that we should have the wands by lunchtime tomorrow.  It wasn't cheap though, especially on such short notice."

"How much?" Harry questioned, not worried so much by the amount except to wonder if he really did have enough hidden away in his trunk in Gryffindor tower to cover the cost.  A trip to Gringotts would raise too much attention, especially since he would have to obtain permission from Dumbledore ahead of time.  He knew that even if he tried to make it to the Goblin bank without the older Wizard's permission, the man would find out about it anyway. Not only was it annoying but it was also a scenario that would only lead to more questions that Harry really didn't want to answer at this particular point in time. 

"Twenty-Eight Galleons," Ron said with an apologetic look at Harry when he heard Hermione's shocked 'that's outrageous' at the outlandish figure.  "Fred said that he knew it was a ghastly amount but their contact wouldn't budge on the price.  In fact, he threatened to raise it if they continued to argue with him about it.  Anyway, Fred and George will cover it as a store expense so that no one will become suspicious. They'll collect the money the next time they see us."

"That's fine," Harry told him, thankful that he had had the foresight to withdraw such a large amount of money from Gringotts over the Christmas holidays.  He had planned to use it to purchase graduation gifts for Ron, Hermione and Susan during the last Hogsmeade weekend but…

"Oh no!" the Boy-Who-Lived exhaled, shaking his head back and forth in irritation.  

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, looking slightly alarmed at his friend's unusual display.

"Susan.  I forgot that we were supposed to meet just before dinner and then spend the evening together.  I'm already late.  _Again_."

"You're a typical boyfriend, Harry," Hermione laughed, patting his shoulder reassuringly.  "Don't worry, you've been late to meet her before and she's always forgiven you."

"Yeah," Ron agreed with a grin, "She probably expects it by now and would find herself with her toes facing upwards on a funeral pyre from pure shock if you actually showed up on time for once. Just explain to her that you were trying to spare her such a horrid fate and everything will be all right.  You'll see, mate."

"Ron, you are such an oaf!" Hermione said, wrinkling her nose with distaste.  "It's no wonder you can't keep a girlfriend for more than a week."

"Well at least I have girlfriends unlike a particular Gryffindor Head Girl who shall remain nameless, but always has her nose in a book!" the red headed young man retorted hotly. 

"That's because most of the boys in this school are just that… _BOYS_!" she returned flippantly.  "Which means that most of them are just like you!"

"Enough!" Harry intervened, knowing that once his friends started bickering, he could be sitting there all night while they traded insults with one another.

Surprisingly, they stopped their squabbling almost immediately and were just getting ready to leave the privacy of the Head Girl's room and make their way to the Great Hall, where Harry knew his aggravated girlfriend would be, when Hermione asked him a question that brought him to a full stop.

"Harry?  Why do you think Voldemort ordered Professor Snape to bring Ron and me to him?  I mean, don't you think that it would have made more sense to order him to deliver Susan since you have a romantic attachment to her?"

A look of panic crossed the young man's face as his friends stared at him expectantly. 

"Maybe Voldemort doesn't know about my relationship with Susan," he ventured tentatively, although the lack of conviction behind the words told both Hermione and Ron that Harry didn't believe that particular explanation anymore than they did. 

"That's doubtful, Harry.  I mean, everyone knows about your relationship.  Susan even got a few Howlers from some of your disgruntled groupies when your relationship went public.  One of those Howlers was from a middle-aged Wizard if memory serves me correctly."

"Ron's right, Harry," Hermione agreed with a mixture of hesitation and apology lacing her voice. "News of your relationship was in the Daily Prophet just before Christmas.  Even if Voldemort didn't see the article, one of his followers was bound to mention it."

"Especially since you're at the top of his _'must be sure to kill off soon'_ list," Ron murmured.

"Thanks, Ron," Harry replied with no small amount of sarcasm.  

"Maybe he wants Snape to deliver you and Hermione because we've been together longer or because we've foiled more of his plans as a team.  I wouldn't have been half as successful as I was over the years if it hadn't been for the two of you," Harry continued thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," Hermione conceded, though she didn't look convinced. 

"Hey, you don't think that Vold…'You-Know-Who' will go after Susan if he doesn't get us, do you?" Ron asked.

"Who knows?" the Boy-Who-Lived answered dejectedly.  "What's to stop him from going after her regardless of Saturday's outcome?"

"Nothing," Hermione whispered with a sad shake of her head, feeling sorrow for the fact that Harry's life was being manipulated by the whims of a maniac yet again. "Nothing at all…"

"I need to get to Dumbledore," Harry announced decisively.  "She'll need to be protected."

"Well mate, he'll be in the Great Hall right now so it will have to wait until after supper," Ron reminded him.  

"Right. We'll eat first and then I'll talk with Dumbledore," Harry decided.  "Maybe he'll have some type of a plan that we can use."

"Let's hope it's better than the plan he had for Hermione and me," Ron muttered softly.

It was obvious that the young man hadn't meant for his words to be overheard but nevertheless Harry and Hermione had both caught the words and the meaning behind them.  Exchanging a worried look with the young Witch who looked a little nervous herself, the Boy-Who-Lived simply shook his head. "Yes, let's hope so."

It was a very subdued and worried trio that slowly traversed the castle corridors to the Great Hall.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  First of all, I hope that all of you are enjoying a good New Year.  Second, I'd like to take a moment or two to send out a huge load of thanks to all of you who took the time to review after the last posting.  Your response truly overwhelmed me (in a very good way) and I enjoyed reading and thinking about what each of you had to say.  To those of you who sent along well wishes regarding my health:  THANK YOU!  I am still on bed rest (multiple back problems, etc), but we have begun treatments and I am hoping for the best.  As they say…. 'This too shall pass' very big grin

As always, huge thanks and warm regards to Ozratbag2 for lending her time and talent to this story to ensure that it is not only readable, but that the plotline flows and makes some type of sense G

Once again, feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter/ story. 

~Jules 


	11. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Ten~

As it turned out, Harry wasn't the only person waiting to speak with Albus Dumbledore that evening and shortly after the celebrated Wizard had left the Great Hall, a figure clad almost entirely in black lay down his cutlery and followed the same path the Headmaster himself had just taken to return to his office. 

Glaring at the gargoyle and muttering what he considered to be one of the most ridiculous passwords the seemingly senile wizard had come up with to date, Severus Snape swished onto the spiral stairway, his robes billowing softly behind him from the gentle breeze of the stone passageway and was swiftly carried to the entrance of Dumbledore's cluttered office. 

"Ah, do come in Severus, I was expecting you several minutes ago in fact," the Headmaster greeted, laying down his quill and indicating a chair that the Potions Master was to occupy.

Snape looked at the man, one dark eyebrow raised in annoyance at the fact that his every move seemed to be calculated in advance.  It was almost as if he were some well-trained canine that was being led around by the neck on a studded Muggle leash. It was a feeling that he didn't appreciate in the least.  

"My apologies, Albus, but I was delayed by the necessity to deduct House Points from several unruly students in the corridors," the Potions Master replied calmly, determined not to let his ire show through the usual stony façade he presented to the world.  "Gryffindors, in fact."

The last line was delivered with a heartfelt smirk and he was gratified to see that the small jab at the Headmaster's favorite House was greeted with what could be construed as the tiniest bit of irritation.  Of course, he couldn't be certain since Dumbledore looked up with a congenial smile, but Snape was almost positive that the usual twinkle in those ever annoying and all knowing blue eyes had fled for the briefest of moments.  Not to mention the tightness around the other Wizard's mouth that had caused the corners to turn down ever so slightly.  Yes, it was a petty thing but Snape had never claimed to be a saint and he'd take his satisfaction, such as it was, wherever he could get it.  

'Serves him right for plaguing me with the task of babysitting the Dream Team on Saturday,' he thought, uncharitably.   The fact that he would only be forced to deal with two of the three members of the disliked trio was irrelevant in his opinion.  Even though Potter wouldn't be accompanying them, a fact for which his nerves were most thankful, he still had to put up with the dim-witted antics of the boy's red-haired side-kick and Potter's walking encyclopedia of information who never seemed to tire of showing her vast array of trivia off at the slightest opportunity.  If it weren't for his own innate sense of honor, he would just leave them to their fates after delivering them, as promised to Voldemort.  And who knew, perhaps Granger could question and irritate the Dark Lord into an early death?  Merlin only knew that Severus had felt that way all too many times thanks to her never ending hand raising throughout the years.  It almost made him appreciate Weasley's dumbfounded expressions. At least the boy had the good sense to remain quiet even if it was simply because he was trying to stay oblivious to the Potions Master's notice in the vain hope of not being called on to prove his lack of intelligence to the class.

Yes, almost but not quite as Snape had always been one to respect intelligence and, if nothing else, he would privately grant Granger that much at least.  No, it wasn't her brain that he objected to, it was simply the way she constantly flaunted it over the years.  He wondered briefly how Potter and Weasley had managed to remain sane with her constant carping at them for such a prolonged period of time.       

His thoughts were interrupted as the Headmaster, deciding that his Potions Professor was already wound up more than was healthy for any one person, took a deep breath and dived right into the matter at hand in the hopes of diverting the man's ire and relieving a few of his concerns.  

"I take it that your visit here this evening, Severus, concerns the upcoming plans for our favorite Gryffindors?" he asked, the twinkling in his eyes having returned once again. 

A derisive snort sounded from the dark haired man by way of reply and though it wasn't one of his more eloquent responses, it certainly managed to convey his feelings, as succinctly as any long-winded soliloquy would have done.  Yet again, Albus Dumbledore wondered how one person, be that Wizard or Muggle, could put so much expression into one simple guttural noise.  It was truly a talent, in his esteemed opinion. 

"This _'plan,'_ if one could deem it as such, has disaster written all over it.  We should seriously consider placing Weasley and Granger into hiding until the Dark Lord's ire has dimmed.  We could always come up with another explanation," the Professor claimed, coming straight to the point.  

"And yet I hear that you have already managed to lay the foundation by assigning Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley detention on Saturday afternoon.  Or was that not your intention when you meted out such a punishment on the final Hogsmeade weekend of the school year?"

"Of course it was, Albus.  Why else would I saddle myself with the two of them for an entire afternoon?" Snape demanded, knowing that the Headmaster had no intention of backing down from the flimsy plan.  _'How in Circe's name does he actually expect me to pull this one off?'_ he wondered to himself, angry that he had once again been placed in such an unyielding predicament.   

"A very good start, I would say, seeing that most of the upper year students will be away from the castle and will not notice Miss Granger's nor Mr. Weasley's lack of appearance immediately.  Such timing should also ensure that you are able to remove them from the premises with the least amount of fanfare," Dumbledore acknowledged.

"You can't seriously expect to carry this off, Albus!" Snape all but shouted, frustrated by the man's dogged persistence in continuing on with something that could cost them all their lives.  "They are mere children and as such they have no idea of the situation that they are allowing themselves to be tossed into.  The Dark Lord wants them dead and there are too many Death Eaters within the ranks that would be more than happy to carry out such a task in an effort to prove their worth and rise up another inch on the ladder of evil and earn the Dark Lord's favor."

"I am confidant in your ability to diffuse the situation and return them safely home, Severus.  Have you not been doing the very same thing for yourself since Voldemort's return?" the Headmaster asked, gazing directly at the agitated Potions Master with a firm look.

"That is entirely different and you know it," he replied, letting out a breath that spoke of pure frustration.  "Not only am I responsible for getting myself into this mess in the first place, but I have spent years gaining the Dark Lord's trust in an effort to gain information for the Order.  Granger and Weasley have no knowledge of what the Death Eaters are capable of and no practical experience at defending themselves in such circumstances.  Or have you forgotten the outcome for Miss Granger when she went up against some of Voldemort's more devoted followers at the Ministry during her fifth year? I believe she ended up in the Infirmary, or worse thanks to an especially unpleasant hex?"

"I have forgotten nothing, Severus, and both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley have come a long way in regards to their defensive capabilities during the past two years," the Headmaster answered softly, but the Potions Master could detect an underlying thread of steel in his voice.  "I am certain that if we can think of a plausible distraction, they will be able, with your help, to extract themselves from this scenario."

"You are a fool if you think that it will be that easy, Albus," Snape snarled.  "They will be lucky if they make it out alive.  Weasley will be tortured for any information on the Boy-Who-Lived and Granger will be passed around as the evening's entertainment until she is no longer fit for even the most corrupt of Voldemort's followers.  Have you really thought about what it is that you're asking of them?  Is saving my position within Voldemort's Inner Circle really so important as to risk the lives of two innocents, annoying though they may be, in the hopes of gaining more information and buying Potter more time to prepare for his inevitable confrontation with the Dark Lord?"

The Headmaster listened to his Potions Master's tirade with a heavy heart.  How he hated being in the position of deciding the fates of so many people but it was a position that only he could fill.  Looking at the man who stood before him waiting expectantly for an answer to his well-founded question, Dumbledore removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes before softly replying, "Yes, Severus, it is worth almost any price."

"Even if it costs Granger and Weasley their lives?" Snape asked, incredulously. 

"Even if it costs them their lives," he agreed quietly, returning the lenses to their usual position atop his nose.  "Voldemort has forced our hand this time, Severus and the cost may indeed prove to be very high. You are the only member of the Order that is highly enough placed to provide us with the information that has been so vital to our defense against him and we must buy Harry more time.  He is not ready yet.  I fear that if he were to be called upon to face off against Tom now, Harry would lose and then the Wizarding world would fall victim to the whims of the dark. You know the seriousness of the consequences should such an event come to pass."

"If you're referring to that ridiculous prophecy again…"

"Of course I'm referring to the prophecy, Severus, and you know as well as I do that it is anything but ridiculous!" Dumbledore's immense self-control had finally snapped and his voice had become louder with each word he uttered.  "Do you honestly think that I enjoy sending these students, these '_children'_ as you insist on calling them, into a situation that could possibly cost them their lives?"

Snape merely looked at the Wizard that had risen to his feet and was now standing before him.  He could feel the power radiating around and off Dumbledore but he refused to back down.  There was just no reason, in his opinion that could justify delivering these two students into Voldemort's waiting hands.  And what of Potter? Wouldn't he be emotionally devastated if something went wrong and he lost his two best friends?  While Severus held ample dislike for the Boy-Who-Lived, he would grant that Potter was fiercely protective of those he cared about; a fact that Severus attributed to the Gryffindor in the boy.  How did the Headmaster expect Potter to continue if his friends were murdered at the hands of the Dark Lord? No, the boy would more than likely go off in a rage and face down his nemesis…

A sudden chill raced through the Potions Master's body as he looked at the aging Wizard that had faced off against him.  A thought, hideous in nature, had embedded itself within his mind and refused to be dislodged.  What if the Headmaster was counting on the fact that the upcoming meeting would bring about the deaths of Weasley and Granger?  What if he was intentionally sacrificing them to the Cause in order to anger Potter enough to fully use the powers at his disposal and confront the Dark Lord once and for all?  Snape would grant that the boy was powerful, too powerful for the degree of recklessness he had displayed time and time again, and it was common knowledge that abject fury would fuel a Wizard's abilities better and faster than any amount of training ever could.    

Yes, it would be just like Albus to concoct such a scheme, after all, look what he forced Severus to subject himself to every time Voldemort summoned him via the Dark Mark.  Snape had no doubt that the seemingly gentle Headmaster held hidden within, a core of resolve that would justify the means to whatever he felt needed to be accomplished.  And right now, his primary objective was to rid the Wizarding world of the Dark Lord.  He gave a mental shake to clear his mind, knowing that there was nothing he could say, no argument that he could produce at this point, that would change Albus Dumbledore's mind.  The plan would go forth as previously discussed and the best that Snape could hope for was that he would be able to bring Granger and Weasley back alive and intact.  He would have to make his own plans but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what sort of distraction he could come up with that would save his own position within the Inner Circle and still allow Potter's sidekicks the opportunity, not to mention the time, to make good their escape.  And even if they did manage to escape, he had no doubt that Voldemort would punish him in retaliation.  No, regardless of whatever angle he viewed the problem from he could not come up with a satisfactory solution that would see them all emerge unscathed at the end of the evening.  He needed a large drink and the solitude of his chambers and he needed them soon.  

"There is still the matter of the _Obliviate_, Albus," he said quietly.  "After careful consideration, I do not feel that a full _Obliviate_ is a good idea considering the fact that they will need every possible advantage to assist in extricating themselves from this fiasco. You know that it takes a while for a person to readjust after an especially strong memory charm and it would have to be a full _Obliviate_ despite what you told Miss Granger the other night.  They know far too much about the Order. Such disorientation could cause them to miss potential opportunities.  Not to mention the fear factor that they will have to overcome as they will truly believe that I am a Death Eater with the worst possible intentions as to their fate."

"We have no choice, Severus," Dumbledore answered calmly.  "I agree that the _Obliviate_ is a drastic measure, but we cannot risk the possibility of Voldemort probing their minds and discovering your true loyalties. Besides, I believe it was you who initially insisted on the _Obliviate_ as it was the strongest spell available."

"Yes, but that was before I had fully considered the capabilities of the participants in this scenario as well as their level of life experience. Perhaps we could place their memories in a Pensieve for the evening?" he suggested.  "It would be less disorienting for them and the possibility of having their memories permanently erased will be non-existent."   

"I have every confidence in your ability to fully restore their memories and they are already aware of the fact that they may face some discomfort in the process," the Headmaster assured him, unwilling to bend on this particular point of the plan.  "There is the very real probability that they will not be able to recall every memory they have of the Order at the time they are to place such memories into the Pensieve and it is crucial that all of the potentially damaging information is erased.  Besides, if they were to place their memories in a Pensieve, we cannot guarantee that Voldemort will not discover the information due to the faint imprint of the memories that remain in the subconscious part of the person's mind.  You know that as well as I do, Severus."

"Of course I know that! It is my hope that I can remove them from the situation before it comes to that," Snape snapped, tired of the merry-go-round that the Headmaster insisted they play on.  "However, it would be far better to chance such a small possibility and have them fully functional, rather than dazed and confused and of little help in their own escape."

"I disagree," Dumbledore said with more than a small note of finality in his voice.  "The plan will continue as originally outlined.  We have twenty-four hours to come up with a distraction that will buy you the time needed to get them out of there.  If we fail to come up with one then we will have to fall back on the _Perattrahere _spell and I will call them back at a pre-appointed time.   

"Somehow, I doubt that Miss Granger will appreciate your thoughts on this matter," the Potions Master offered, a grim smirk settling firmly in the back of his mind.  He had seen the young woman fly off the handle a few times in the past with a temper that was every bit as unruly as that bushy head of hair. That given with her sharp tongue and self-righteous attitude, he had no doubt that should they all make it back and have their memories restored, that she would not hesitate to give the Headmaster a very loud account of her opinion on the entire matter.  He only hoped that he was around to see what Albus would consider to be a shockingly abrupt display from the usually quiet, reserved girl.  

With such thoughts in mind and having nothing further to discuss, he excused himself from the Headmaster's office passing Harry with nothing more than a noncommittal grunt on his way out.  From the look on the boy's face, Severus would bet that Potter wasn't any happier about the way things were going than he was.  For some reason, Snape found the thought comforting.  It seemed that the Headmaster was in for a long night if he read the boy's facial expressions correctly.  

Deciding that such matters really weren't any of his concern at the moment, he continued through the halls and made his way back to his dungeons for a quiet evening and a strong stiff drink.  Entering his chambers, he noticed with some dismay, the very large stack of parchments that contained the final essays from his sixth year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class.  He sighed, knowing that they would have to be graded but Severus just couldn't bring himself to sit down and mark the papers at the present time. 

"Forget it," he murmured, crossing over to the well-stocked liquor cabinet.  "The dunderheads can wait until Monday to get their testimonies to academic failure back."

And with that sentiment, he kicked off his shoes, took off his robes and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.  Sinking into the soft leather of the well-worn sofa, he waved his wand and muttered a quick spell to create a roaring fire in the oversized fireplace and contemplated the upcoming mission.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Lucius Malfoy was not a happy Wizard at the moment and that usually meant trouble for someone.  In this case, he had already determined that the someone in question was soon to be Hogwarts resident Potions Master.  Yes, Severus had plagued him long enough with his sarcastic comebacks and holier than thou attitude and it was time to put an end to the problem once and for all.  It was time to eliminate the traitor and take his rightful position at the Dark Lord's side. 

"So you've assigned detention to Weasley and the Mudblood, Severus?" Lucius murmured thoughtfully, reading the letter from Blaise that had just been delivered by a non-descript little owl that was no doubt one of the school owls from Hogwarts. He had previously instructed Blaise and Pansy to inform him of any actions that Snape made, no matter how innocuous, regarding Potter and his Gryffindor friends and it looked like his instructions were about to pay off in a very big way.  The only thing that really surprised him was that the brooding Professor actually looked like he was going to follow through with the Dark Lord's instructions by delivering Potter's friends to the Dark Revel scheduled for the coming weekend.  It just didn't make sense if Snape was the traitor that he believed him to be and Lucius Malfoy prided himself on never being wrong.  Well, almost never…

"Make your plans, Severus, for I will not be thwarted this time," he murmured, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a clean sheet of parchment and an oversized quill.  "I will have what is mine and the only way that those two are going to be delivered to the Dark Lord will be by my doing and in my own time."  

The elegant scrawl of his handwriting began to cover the parchment as he issued orders yet again to the Slytherin spies that were standing by to do his bidding.  If Snape failed to deliver the students then the Dark Lord would end his life once and for all, leaving the path free and clear for Lucius to stand up and take control over that which he already considered to be rightfully his.  Delivering Weasley and the Mudblood himself, where Snape had previously failed, would only serve to further his worth in the eyes of his Master and fully secure him the position of Lord Voldemort's right-hand man.  He would deal with the annoyance that was Wormtail shortly afterward but until then he would have to wait patiently and bide his time.  Giving an evil laugh that caused the short little House-Elf to quickly grab the empty liquor glass and Disapparate back to the kitchens, he sealed the parchment and called for his owl. 

Satisfied with his endeavors, he pulled two small objects from his desk and performed a series of incantations over them that would further serve to assure the success of his plan.  Even Blaise and Pansy wouldn't be able to ruin this plan; a plan that was so simple that its deceit was not to be discovered.  A few more murmured words and a couple of waves of his wand and all was ready at last.  He pulled a tiny box out of the drawer in his desk and quickly dropped the enchanted objects into it with a self-satisfied smile. A narrow black ribbon tied securely around the parcel guaranteed that the package would remain closed and away from would be prying eyes until it was delivered safely into the hands of the intended persons.  Yes, this plan was far too easy and he could practically taste the upcoming success that was certain to be his.  Magically attaching the parcel to the letter, he secured the bundle to the left leg of his owl and muttered his delivery instructions.          

Come two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, he would strike and finally put his plan into action.  The Gryffindors would be his for the taking and Severus Snape would become nothing more than an irritating memory…

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  Special thanks to my beta, OzRatbag2, for receiving, betaing, and returning this chapter all in one afternoon!  Also, I would like to send out a very big thank you to all of you who took the time to review the last posting and a very heartfelt thanks to those of you who wished me well in my current bout of illness.  Things are progressing slowly and I am still on bedrest, but they ARE progressing and your well wishes and support mean a lot to me!  There were a couple of reviews in particular that I felt the need to reply to so I'll take a moment or two to do so now:

One reviewer asked about the feasibility of utilizing a Pensieve rather than an Obliviate in the story.  The idea was quite good actually (I admit that I hadn't considered it) and I included an explanation to round things out a bit as far as the plotline was concerned.  Thank you for bringing such an idea to my attention!

HarryPotterFreak1234:  Thank you so much for your continued reviews but please don't worry that I may have forgotten that this is listed under the pairing of Severus and Hermione. (smile)  This will be a long (much longer than originally intended) story and to push them together within the next few chapters would truly compromise the basis of the storyline and that is something that I'm just not prepared to do.  I'm sorry to disappoint you but rest assured that they are headed in that direction.  Unfortunately, it will take quite awhile as they seem to truly loathe one another at the moment!   In the meantime I hope that you will continue to enjoy the plotline and the psychological developments of the characters as they unfold.  

Again, thanks to everyone and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!

~Jules    


	12. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Eleven~

It was a grim looking Harry Potter that arrived back in the Gryffindor Common Room nearly two hours later.  His talk with the Headmaster had been anything but reassuring and now rather than just having to worry about Ron and Hermione being in danger, he had the added complication of worrying about Susan as well.  

"I knew this would happen," he muttered, entering the Common Room.  

"Knew what would happen, mate?" Ron asked, looking up from the latest copy of Quidditch International, a popular monthly Wizarding magazine that had been delivered earlier that afternoon. 

Harry looked around in an effort to make certain that there was no one else in the room to overhear them and then stopped suddenly, momentarily forgetting about Ron's question.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"She's with Susan and Ginny," his friend answered with a careless wave of his hand.  "Something about a girl's night, although it can't be much of a night considering that they're all supposed to be back in time for curfew and that's in ten minutes."

The Boy-Who-Lived absently shook his head in acknowledgement of the information and sat down on the long sofa in front of the fireplace.  No matter how long he had been at Hogwarts, he would never get used to the glowing fire in the fireplace, especially at the beginning of summer.  Of course, the fire itself was more for atmosphere than anything else and had been charmed not to emit any heat due to the warmer season, but it still was quite a sight as far as he was concerned.  

"So what did Dumbledore have to say about you-know-what?" the red-haired young man questioned.  

"Not much," Harry replied with more than a hint of disgruntlement in his voice.  "He said that the matter has already been taken into consideration and that if necessary, she will be moved to a safer location as soon as the school year is finished."

"Safer location?" Ron repeated, his brow furrowing with confusion.  "What's safer than Hogwarts?"

"That's just it, Ron," Harry said, looking at his friend earnestly, "Hogwarts isn't all that safe any more and even though Dumbledore won't admit it, I know that he doesn't have complete control over everything that happens here. I'm not so certain that he ever did."

Ron's reply was lost amongst the sounds of the Common Room entryway as it opened to admit Hermione and Ginny, the latter of the two girls giggling as if she had just heard the joke of a lifetime.  

"Honestly, Gin," her brother complained, "Do you have to do that?  We could practically hear you half the castle away!"

He was almost sorry that he hadn't taken time to think about his words before opening his mouth as both young women shot him frightful glares. Deciding that retreat, in the form of silence, might be his best bet for the time being, he reopened his magazine and slunk behind the glossy pages that were covered with moving pictures of Chudley Cannon's team members flying to and fro. Only the flame red tips of his hair could be seen peeking out from the top of the enchanted journal.   

"Did you get to talk with Professor Dumbledore, Harry?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron's antics and walking over to stand beside her friend.  

"Yes and he didn't have anything reassuring to say except that he was monitoring the situation," the young man replied glumly.  

"Which doesn't mean a whole lot, at least according to Harry," Ron's voice muttered from behind the magazine.  

Giving an exasperated sigh, Hermione reached over and tugged the magazine out of his hand and stuffed it into her book bag.  Seeing the incredulous look that passed over her friend's face at the loss of his new toy, she simply sighed.  "Ron, you can have it back when we're done discussing things.  It's very difficult to try to talk to you when I look in your direction expecting to see your face and see the Wizard on the cover of that magazine instead.  Honestly!"

"But it's Victor Krum!" he protested, hand held out expectantly in the hopes of retrieving his newly found reading material.  

"Which makes it even more disconcerting," Hermione stated, moving her bag further out of Ron's annoyed grasp.  Though she still kept in touch with Victor occasionally through letters, she had not seen him in nearly two years and it was more than a little disturbing to look at a picture of her friend's face and seemingly hear Ron's accent and higher pitched voice rather than the low-toned, broken English of Victor's own voice  

A snicker from Ginny, having taken in the pouting look on her brother's face, had both Harry and Hermione laughing while Ron simply threw up his hands, signaling his surrender in the matter.

"I'm going to call it a night," Ginny announced after the laughter had calmed down.  Giving her brother a soft smile as means of an unspoken sibling truce, she politely said good night to the others and headed up the stairs to the girls dormitories.  

"Perhaps we should move this somewhere less public," Hermione suggested after wishing her friend a good night and watching her petite form vanish up the stone stairwell.  A few moments later, with Harry and Ron hidden underneath the folds of fabric that comprised the Invisibility Cloak, they entered the Head Girl's room, located just down the hall from the Gryffindor Common Room, and discussed the situation at hand. 

"Hermione," the Boy-Who-Lived turned his attention to the female of the trio.  "Does Susan suspect that she might be in danger?"

"Well, I'd say that she suspects something given that she categorized our behavior during the past few days as _'distracted'_ but I don't think she realizes that she may be in danger," Hermione answered thoughtfully.

"We don't even know that she is in danger," Ron logically pointed out. "We just think that she might be given the fact that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is out to get us. Again."

"Yes and if he fails then he's likely to turn to the next person that Harry is most likely to miss," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"Too bad he's not going after Filch instead," Ron answered with a grin.  "It sure would be nice to be able to sneak around the castle after curfew just once without having to worry about him catching us."

"Or Mrs. Norris for that matter," Harry murmured in agreement.  

"Oh for Heaven's sake," Hermione muttered with irritation.  "Would you two finally grow up and focus on what's important here?"

Agreeing as much for the sake of not being railed at further by the strict young witch as for anything else, they focused their attentions and discussed several topics including Susan's possible need for further protection and the wands that would be coming their way the following morning.  Little was decided that hadn't already been discussed fully, but at least they felt better for having solidified what few ideas had come to them thus far.

Twenty minutes later, the soft shuffle of Ron and Harry's footsteps could just barely be heard as they moved carefully under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.   

What they didn't see was the pair of intense gray eyes that silently watched as the portrait to the Gryffindor entrance opened for seemingly no reason at all. 

_'What are you up to, Potter?'_ wondered the young man hidden in shadow as he stared calculatedly at the recently closed portal.  Knowing that he wasn't going to receive the answers to his question by standing in the corridor, he turned and resumed the nightly rounds required of the Head Boy.  Something was gearing up and ready to happen; he could feel it though he couldn't exactly explain how, and Draco Malfoy would all but bet his life that it had everything to do with Harry Potter. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

It was early Friday morning when Lucius Malfoy stepped into the small office of the Ministry worker he had come to see.  He looked around the darkened room that could really be described as more of a nook and his lip automatically curled with extreme distaste.  His own office while he had worked for the Ministry of Magic had been spacious and airy, befitting of a Wizard in his social position, but this?  It was little better than the accommodations for the House-Elves back at Malfoy Manor so far as he was concerned.  Still, the less fortunate half of society did need to remember its place and he instantly decided that the Ministry was succeeding at that small task if nothing else.

"Lucius," greeted a nervous feminine voice that had just come from the file room located off to the left.  One glance into the room showed a small space no bigger than a pantry and the man consciously hid the inherent disgust he felt for the lack of opulence in his surroundings.  

"Have you heard anything more in regards to our little party this weekend?" Lucius asked quietly, covertly referring to the upcoming Dark Revel that was to take place the following evening.  Although his tone was congenial enough, the woman could sense the underlying steel and calculation beneath the seemingly innocent enquiry.  

"I told you that I would contact you if I found out anything," she replied tightly in a voice just above a whisper.  Looking nervously at the open doorway, she gestured for her guest to have a seat and then quietly walked over and closed the door.  

"You cannot come here asking me questions like this, Lucius," she nervously told the man in a slightly louder voice.  "It isn't safe and your presence could quite possibly raise questions; questions that I am quite certain you would rather avoid."

The last line was delivered rather pointedly and the older Malfoy had no doubt that she was referring to the fiasco two years prior when he and several other Death Eaters had engaged Harry Potter and his friends in an effort to retrieve the highly vaunted prophecy that was still one of the Dark Lord's main obsessions.  He grimaced in remembrance of that particular situation.  It had been a very furious Master that the Death Eaters had been treated to after that night and their failure to recover the prophecy had not gone unpunished.  Months of _Crucio_ and being left out of the activities of the Inner Circle had left Lucius wondering if he would ever be able to insinuate himself back into the Dark Lord's good graces.  His loss of position at the Ministry hadn't pleased the serpentine figure either and if it hadn't been for his own highly placed social connections and overly large bankroll then he might very well have found himself permanently housed in Azkaban along with the rest of his colleagues that had been captured during that evening.  Merlin, how he hated Harry Potter and his sidekicks! The interfering children had much to atone for and he nearly salivated in anticipation of the following night when two of those blasted children would receive their just rewards.  He only hoped that the Dark Lord would allow him the honor of applying the punishments, especially to the curvaceous young Mudblood.

"Be very careful, my dear," the blond haired man warned softly as a tight smile played about his lips.  "You have been a very valued and respected member of the Ministry for many years now and are considered to be quite fair in your dealings with those around you.  It would be a shame if that respect were to be damaged irrevocably. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Enough of this," she snapped, her anger at being threatened winning out over her fear of the loathsome Wizard that sat before her, a twisted smirk firmly settled on his face.  "I told you that I don't have anything new to report and I don't.  I have kept my end of this so called bargain and I expect you to keep yours."

"All in good time, my dear," he answered, obviously unperturbed by her emotional outburst.  "Provided that everything goes well at the _party_, you will be free to continue with your happy little life in this administrative nirvana you call a career."  

The last part of his answer was delivered with more than a hint of derision as he made a very obvious gesture to her surroundings.  

"You promised that if I did this and gave you the information you demanded that she wouldn't be harmed," the woman said softly, wondering yet again if the man was going to keep his word and deliver the promised protection of the young girl that meant so very much to her.

"And she won't be," he assured her in an off-hand matter that hinted at boredom on his part.  "Provided that the information you have provided me with proves to be accurate.  It would be…unfortunate… if our _friend_ were to be displeased.  Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes," she whispered, remembering the not-so-little bout of Cruciatus she had endured a few days prior for seemingly no reason.  What exactly would the Dark Lord do to her if her information failed to bring about the results promised by Lucius Malfoy?  And what was to say that such a fate wouldn't befall her anyway?  One thing she had learned in her brief dealings with the less than savory characters of the Wizarding world was that honor was scarce and the time honored values of truth, loyalty and keeping one's promises, were nothing more than tools to be played with.  She sighed silently, wondering once again how she had managed to get into such a mess and if she would ever be able to pull out of it.  Of course, even if Lucius did keep his word, and she seriously doubted that he would unless it suited his purpose to do so, she didn't know how she was going to live with her conscience that would surely nag her to the point of insanity. 

"I see that we understand one another quite well," the Wizard quipped, thoroughly enjoying his game of cat and mouse.  "I shall leave you now, but be prepared tomorrow evening as I will personally escort you to the _party_."

"Afraid I might run away?" she asked with more than a hint of bitterness.

Lucius looked at the woman that now stood mere inches away from him and smiled, though the action never reached the cold hard depths of his eyes.  "The thought had occurred to me," he admitted lightly.  "And considering that it is both of our necks on the line should anything go wrong, then yes, I believe that I will take certain precautions by keeping an eye on you.  After all, I wouldn't want you to suddenly develop an overwhelming sense of conscience and run off telling stories to the wrong people."

"You're referring to Albus Dumbledore," she whispered softly, wondering if even the most celebrated Wizard of their time would be able to get her out of her current predicament, let alone understand her reasons for willingly walking into it in the first place.  

"Amongst others," Lucius acknowledged without the slightest hint of hesitation.  With a slight incline of his aristocratic head, he turned and vacated the tiny office, his stride full of confidence and purpose.  

"What have I done?" the woman whispered into the emptiness of the room as she reached across the desk to pick up a photo of a young woman, no more than seventeen years of age, standing outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and waving happily to her from the picture.  Her red hair shone like fire in the sunlight and several people that she had come to call friends during the past few years surrounded her.    

Laying the picture back down on the desk, she wiped an errant tear from her cheek and took a deep ragged breath. It wasn't supposed to be like this and she had never thought herself the type to fall victim to the demands of the Dark.  However, here she sat, gathering and passing along information that would eventually cost several good people their lives and all because she had come to the decision that the young woman in the picture had more of a right to live than anyone else.  A decision that she knew the girl in question would disagree with most vehemently were she ever to find out. 

Another tear escaped her eye and fell unheeded to land on the parchments littering her desk.  Tomorrow night would not only decide if her treachery had been in vain but it would also condemn her for eternity as far as she was concerned.  It was a frightening prospect and one that she would have given her own life to reverse.  However, being a practical Witch, she knew that such a thing was simply not possible.  

"What have I done?" she whispered yet again and sat miserably staring vacantly off into space as she listened to the silence that seemed to bombard her from every corner of the little office with no possibility of comfort in sight.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

It was a nervous Gryffindor trio that sat in the Potions classroom Friday morning and oddly enough, even the dark haired Professor seemed to have his mind on other things, though most of the students would be hard pressed to notice seeing that he still barked his instructions at them in his usual acidic manner.  

At least that was Hermione's impression as she looked up from brewing the mind-strengthening potion that he had assigned to catch him staring thoughtfully at her for the briefest of moments.  Of course, she couldn't be certain that he had been staring at her in particular as he seemed to immediately shift his gaze whenever she would glance upwards, but she honestly thought he just might have been.  Not only was his intent look puzzling, but also it was enough to set her own nerves on edge as it silently spoke of a nervousness regarding the upcoming task; a task that still hadn't had every precaution hammered out ahead of time.

_'All the more reason to feel like a lamb being lead to slaughter,'_ she thought worriedly and pushed the horrifying thought as far back in her mind as she could.

She sighed and added the crushed walrus tusk and stirred the mixture in her cauldron clock-wise nineteen times, pausing forty-two seconds before repeating the process in a counter-clockwise direction.  The potion that they were currently making was quite complex and while it didn't take all that long to brew, it was still more advanced than she would have credited the seventh year class with being able to brew successfully.  It also hadn't been on the original curriculum, which meant that the Professor had substituted it for something else.  

A frown marred her brow as her mind toiled over this particular line of reasoning.  A mind-strengthening potion would assist in blocking out unwanted intrusion by another into a person's mind and although it was nowhere near as advanced or dependable as Occlumency, it would help a person to focus on one particular thought and debunk anyone from seeing too far into one's thoughts and memories; at least for a while anyway as the potion wouldn't last for more than a few hours at best.  She wondered if perhaps Professor Snape had insisted on this particular potion because of the upcoming events of tomorrow.  

_'But he's going to Obliviate_ _Ron and I,'_ an inner voice whispered, bringing her back to her biggest fear of all regarding the following day's activities.  

_'Prior to our forced meeting with Voldemort,'_ she silently amended, recalling Harry's previous descriptions of the Dark Lord.      

No, she still wasn't happy with the thought of an Obliviate and she didn't mind admitting so to either the dark brooding Professor that was currently making his rounds to check on each student's progress or even the Headmaster himself.  After all, she had worked hard to get to her current state and she didn't like the thought of anyone tampering with her mind.  It was the one thing that was truly hers and she didn't want to risk it in any way.  Besides, she and Ron both knew far too much about the Order, which meant that a good-sized chunk of memories would have to be extracted.  

There was also the small matter of trust that she would have to place in both the Headmaster and Head of Slytherin.  Complete trust was something that she didn't give lightly and in this case she would be entrusting her most precious commodity, her thoughts and memories- the very things that helped to comprise her identity, to two Wizards with decidedly questionable agendas.  Even worse was the fact that her faith in the Headmaster over the years had gone from that of an adoring eleven year old child to the calm rationale of an eighteen year old young woman and while she believed that Albus Dumbledore would do everything in his power to defeat the Dark Lord, she wouldn't put it past him to make a few sacrifices along the way. A good case in point was some of the decisions he had made on Harry's behalf throughout the years. Whatever might happen, Hermione was determined that she did not want to be one of the sacrifices unless there was absolutely no other way. 

_'And what of Professor Snape?'_ that annoying inner voice questioned, drawing her attention even more inwards as she examined her thoughts of the Wizard she knew so little about.  

The man had been at best, unpleasant, and at worst…  well, she was too polite to allow her thoughts to roam too far in that particular direction even if she was indulging in a private monologue.  No, the man had a sense of honor that, though confusing and slightly questionable at times, was something to be taken into consideration.  He had put himself on the line more times for others than could be reliably counted, Harry, Ron and herself included, and from what she had seen upon occasion during her stays at Grimmauld Place, Professor Snape had been the recipient of the Dark Lord's ire on numerous occasions.  No, despite his harsh manner and prickly nature, she truly believed that he had their best interests in mind, though she doubted that either Ron or Harry would agree with her newly found assessment of their most hated Professor.  

Oddly enough, she found herself more inclined to trust the motives of the taciturn Wizard than she was to trust those of the Headmaster.  It was a startling revelation indeed and one she would definitely need to think about after tomorrow's activities had concluded.  That is of course provided that she and Ron, along with Professor Snape, actually managed to return in one piece.  Just then the man she had been pondering over for the last several minutes interrupted her thoughts. 

"Pay attention to your potion, Miss Granger," the Professor demanded in a silky voice from where he had stopped to observe her progress over her shoulder.  "It would be highly unfortunate if it were anything _less_ than perfect as so much depends upon it."  

She watched thoughtfully as he moved on to Neville's cauldron and delivered his customary scathing remarks. Although, in Snape's defense, Hermione had to admit that Neville's potion was a ghastly shade of chartreuse as opposed to the anticipated midnight blue that the textbook had indicated.  It was also far too clumpy to be considered anything even remotely resembling the mind-strengthening potion assigned to the class. 

"I can't believe he just threatened your grade, 'Mione," Ron muttered quietly, shooting a dark glance at Snape's back.  "Well, it's not like you have to worry or anything.  Even if you failed this potion, you'd still have the highest overall grade in the class." 

She flashed her friend a small smile before returning her attention to her cauldron. Although she supposed the Professor's comments seemed to indicate that a _'less than perfect'_ potion would constitute the reprisal of a failing grade, thereby producing the _'unfortunate'_ outcome he had predicted, she suspected that he was referring to something far more important. It was as if he were passing on a coded message that he couldn't risk the other students in the classroom picking up on; or so the intensity of his momentary gaze had seemed to suggest.  She shook her head and laughed inwardly at herself as she acknowledged that all of the recent cloak and dagger activities seemed to finally be getting to her if she truly believed that Professor Snape was sending her covert messages in class.  Still, the idea stayed in the back of her mind and grew more insistent with the passing of time.  

Adding in the final ingredients, she lowered the flame underneath the cauldron and allowed the potion to simmer as required.  Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to her, the curious Witch allowed her eyes to unobtrusively follow her Professor as he completed his rounds throughout the classroom before finally settling into the chair behind his oversized desk.  She could hear the scratching of his quill as he slashed through several student papers.  A small, sardonic grin briefly touched her lips as she thought of the amount of red ink the man must go through in a single solitary school year.  

_'Probably more than the other teachers combined,'_she theorized, watching as he made three large strokes with his quill at the top of the parchment in front of him. It was obvious by the stroke marks and the grim set of the Professor's mouth that the student in question wasn't going to be too pleased with that particular grade.

As if feeling someone watching him, Snape looked up and quickly surveyed the class with his gaze finally coming to rest momentarily on Hermione.  The sudden unexpected action made her jump ever so slightly as she had become lost in her thoughts.  With the quirk of an eyebrow, he nodded briefly to her and allowed his gaze to travel from her simmering cauldron to her startled eyes.  It was then that he shot her another intense look and she had the distinct impression that he was once again trying to convey a message of prime importance.  Turning her own gaze to the cauldron in question, she was pleased to see that the potion was gently bubbling exactly as it should be.  When she lifted her eyes back to meet those of her Professor, he had looked away and she was left with an overwhelming sense of confusion.  

He _had_ been trying to tell her something, of that she was now certain, although she couldn't quite figure it out.  Whatever it was, she had the distinct impression that it was highly important and had something to do with the following day.  She sighed, wishing that the final hour of class would hurry up and end so that she could bottle her potion and leave.  She needed to think and she needed time alone to do so.  She wasn't certain where the strange little non-verbal exchange played into the grand scheme of things, but she was certain of one thing if nothing else:  Severus Snape was up to something and she'd bet her very last textbook that whatever it was, it had everything to do with tomorrow afternoon.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC  

Author's Note:  And another chapter written and read…  My many many thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review and again my thanks to those of you who have passed along well wishes regarding my current health problems.   I'd also like to send out Chocolate Frogs along with my deepest thanks to OzRatbag2 for continuing to run through this story with an expert eye.  

Again, not only are your thoughts and comments appreciated, but many times your ideas help to shape the story so don't hesitate to push the little button and let me know what you think! 

~Jules


	13. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Twelve~

It was a rowdy group of students that gathered in the Great Hall for lunch that same afternoon.  The fact that the following day was a Hogsmeade weekend, combined with the knowledge that the end of the school year was near at hand, had bolstered the student's spirits beyond measure.  Harry sighed quietly as he looked around the oversized Hall and observed the happy go lucky smiles and carefree attitudes on the faces of his peers. Yet again he wished that he had been born a normal Wizard with nothing more than the usual concerns of an average teenaged boy to occupy his thoughts.  

He looked to his girlfriend and smiled shyly as she laid her hand on his leg and gave a light, reassuring squeeze.  She hadn't pressed him for answers as to the source of his recent preoccupation and for that he was exceedingly grateful.  It wasn't that he didn't trust her or even that he was deliberately trying to be overly secretive, but the more he thought about the next day's activities the more nervous he became. Talking about it only served to drive home the point that their current situation was all too real and that his best friends' lives hung precariously on the outcome of a poorly drafted plan and the intentions of a Wizard that he had all but despised for far too long.

And that brought his attention back to Severus Snape, snarky bastard and spy extraordinaire.  Yes, the taciturn Professor had managed to survive years of playing the role of a double agent and Harry was honest enough to admit that Snape was powerful in his own right.  But why in Merlin's name did it have to be him, of all people, that would be primarily responsible for seeing to the safety of the two people that had become like family to him?  And how could he be certain that the brooding Slytherin would place Ron and Hermione's welfare above his own should the need arise?  

Yes, there was the _Perattrahere_Spellshould things go wrong but Harry didn't quite trust Albus Dumbledore to summon his friends if the Wizard felt the consequences to be detrimental to the overall good of the Cause.  It wasn't that he didn't respect the highly vaunted leader of the Order, but he had stayed at Grimmauld Place often enough to know that the Headmaster followed his own select agenda and The-Boy-Who-Lived had seen the Wizard make more than one decision that Harry himself had deemed questionable over the years.  Decisions that were made for the good of the Order but somehow seemed to be less than wonderful for whoever had been in the way at the time.  

His thoughts were interrupted as Susan drew his attention to the softly colored postal owl that was flying straight toward them.  It wasn't as large as some of the other owls that were currently delivering the noon mail throughout the Hall but the feathered animal was more than big enough to deliver the long narrow package that was held firmly in its mouth.  Flying to a point just over the table where Harry, Susan, Ron and Hermione were seated, the little owl flapped its wings and flew in a small circle as if to announce its presence before dropping the plain brown paper wrapped package on the empty plate directly in front of the famous Gryffindor.  After eagerly accepting a piece of crusty bread from Hermione's petite fingers, the owl hooted happily at the four friends and flew off leaving the group to momentarily stare at the package.

"Well, aren't you going to open it, Harry?" Susan asked, slightly perplexed by the apprehensive expression on her boyfriend's face.  

"Um… no, there's no need really as it's just some magazines that I ordered from Hogsmeade the last time we were there," the Boy-Who-Lived lied, feeling more than a little guilty by his deliberate deception.  Judging by the look on her face, he knew that Susan wasn't entirely convinced but she was too polite to delve further into the mystery of the paper wrapped package in front of so many people.  

For her part, Susan wondered about the contents of the unmarked box and a feeling of apprehension curled in her stomach.  The fact that Ron and Hermione weren't questioning what was in the package or urging Harry to go ahead and open it wasn't lost on her for a moment.  It left her with the obvious conclusion that the two already knew what was in the box and that for some reason they didn't feel that it was wise to disclose the contents to everyone else currently occupying the Great Hall. It was a puzzle that she was going to have to think about and something, a sixth sense perhaps, whispered to her that the box tied into whatever had been going on that week between the three friends.  

It was a mystery but perhaps an even bigger mystery was the question of why the Headmaster was staring fixedly in their direction, his gaze traveling between the mysterious package and Harry Potter.  The concerned look on the elderly Wizard's face did absolutely nothing to reassure her that whatever mess the trio now found themselves in was going to turn out for the best.  If only Harry would just open up and confide in her then she was almost certain that she could put some of her fears and anxiety to rest but she had learned over the course of their time together that he wouldn't talk until he was ready.  Sometimes she wondered if he was trying to protect her or himself as if not discussing the situation would make it seem less real in some small way. 

'Typical Wizard,' she thought with a small sigh and returned her attention to finishing the remainder of her meal.  The mystery of the week would just have to wait until later as she had an Ancient Runes class in fifteen minutes and didn't want to be late.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Later that afternoon, the Gryffindor trio found themselves once again secreted away in Hermione's bedroom under the protection of an advanced Silencing spell.  The package had indeed been from Fred and George and had contained two nondescript wands of average length and strength and a single sheet of yellowed parchment covered in the large looped handwriting of George Weasley.  

"George says here that the Wizard who sold them the wands said that these were the most all purpose wands that he had and that they are supposed to be really good for Charms work," Ron told them after reading the note from his brother.  

A noncommittal grunt from Harry and a wary look at the long pieces of wood by Hermione were his only replies.  

"Fred added a note here at the bottom to remind us that the Wizard also told them that all sales are final whether or not you're pleased with your purchase," the red haired member of the trio said with a slight frown.  

"There's customer service for you," Harry joked in an attempt to lift the tension that had settled over the room.  "I'll bet it wasn't even service with a smile..."

"Oh he was smiling right enough," Ron countered with a mischievous grin at his friend. "I'll bet you this wand that he was smiling when he took the thirty galleons and practically ran out the door."

An answering smile from Harry and even a small smirk on Hermione's part was enough to break the tension and moments later Ron and Hermione were trying out the newly acquired wands with various degrees of success.  

"Ron!" Hermione shouted in alarm as one of the overstuffed pillows on her bed exploded into a pile of feathers sending Crookshanks running for cover inside the wardrobe at the far end of the room.  An angry hiss from the half-kneazle before he disappeared behind the folds of his mistress's freshly laundered robes was enough to tell the three surprised friends that the cat was less than impressed.  

"I'm sorry, 'Mione, but it was the wand," Ron apologized, looking at the thin piece of wood with a dubious expression.  "It has a mind of its own, I tell you."

"Yes, well it had better be of the same mind as we are should we actually have to rely on these things tomorrow evening," the Witch replied with a grimace as she attempted to transfigure her Arithmancy book into a quill.  The grimace grew into an outright expression of exasperation as her spell only partially succeeded to produce a very large, ink stained feather devoid of the necessary nub which would make it usable. An angry shake of her head said as much as any words might have done as she grabbed her own wand and returned the textbook to its original state.   

"It will just take some practice," Harry told her reassuringly, knowing that his friend was bound to be frustrated as she was used to being able to cast almost any spell that she attempted with relative ease.  

"Yes, I suppose it will, but first I have to put the finishing touches on that paper for Professor Dartmoon," she agreed, referring to the final assignment that she would turn in to her Magical Theory Professor.  "I'll be better able to concentrate on things if I have my assignments completed and out of the way." 

"Oy," Ron groused, "We're about to risk our very necks, be Obliviated by Snape of all people, and meet up with He-Who-Wants-Us-Dead and you're worried about schoolwork?"

Harry prepared himself to step in and prevent the argument he was certain was to come before it escalated into a very heated debate when Hermione decided to settle for giving the teenage antagonist a glare that would have scared off most people.  

"Well, if that's how you feel about it," she huffed as she made her way to the door and held it open. It was an obvious dismissal and one the boys knew they would be foolish to ignore.  

"We'll see you at dinner, Hermione," Harry told her, giving her a quick hug before he followed his friend out.

Moments later the two young men found themselves walking down the hall and making their way toward a quiet spot on the Quidditch pitch so that Ron could continue practicing the use of his new wand.  Considering that it was Friday afternoon and there weren't any more Quidditch games scheduled, they stood a fairly good chance of not being observed.  It was a fact that suited Harry all too well as he really didn't feel like answering the questions that such observations were likely to arouse. 

"Harry?" Ron asked, his face wrinkled in consternation as if he were trying to figure out a complex puzzle.  

"Yes, Ron?"

"Have you noticed that Hermione seems to be a little…"

"Jumpy?" Harry asked, having noticed that his friend had been snapping at them more than usual during the course of the past few days. 

"Barmy is more like it," he muttered, and furrowed his brow.  "I mean, take that whole thing with my Quidditch magazine yesterday.  I know she doesn't like the sport much but she wouldn't usually just grab the magazine and not give it back, especially if it were brand new and she knew that I hadn't had a chance to read through it yet."

"I know, Ron."

"And just now she practically threw us out," he elaborated, trying to drive his point home.

"No, Ron, she didn't practically throw us out," Harry corrected with a small grin. "She did throw us out."   

"Exactly," his friend agreed.  "Don't you find her behavior more than a little out of the ordinary?  I mean, she's always said what she thinks and she's always bossed us around but this is bad even for her."

"I think she's just nervous about tomorrow," Harry said quietly, knowing that his friend was not as confident about the upcoming situation as she would like for them to think.

"Well so am I, but you don't see me going around acting all mean and everything," Ron exclaimed.  "Maybe there's something else; something that she hasn't told us about."

"I don't think so," the Boy-Who-Lived disagreed, pushing his glasses back up to where they rested atop his nose.  "Think about it.  What's the one thing that Hermione does when faced with a problem?"

"She goes to the Library," Ron immediately answered, his distaste for such a solution clearly evident on his face. 

"Exactly," Harry agreed.  "Only this time there's nothing for her to research or prepare for.  At least nothing that she can get from a book."

"So what are you saying, Harry?  That if she doesn't have something to research then she's going to be stark raving mean?"

"I don't think she even realizes that her temper is shaper than usual," Harry noted absently.  "Think about it, Ron.  There's nothing for her to research, her assignments are complete so there's practically nothing in the way of homework for her to concentrate on and she can't study for NEWTs because she already took them.  She can't study the curriculum for next year either because there isn't going to be a next year…"

"Bad choice of words, mate," Ron groaned in reference to his friend's statement that there wouldn't be a next year.  If things didn't go well the following day then there wouldn't be much of a tomorrow let alone a next year.

"Sorry," Harry offered apologetically.  "What I meant to say was that Hermione deals with stress and difficult situations by throwing herself into her studies but this time there's nothing left to study."

"And without the distraction of studying then she has more time to think…"

"And more time to worry," Harry finished, knowing that their friend was handling the emotional aspects of their current situation as best she could.

"I get it," Ron assured him, with a rueful smile.  "Still… I hope she hurries up and gives me my magazine back.  There's this great article on the new seeker for the Chudley Cannons…"

The subject of Quidditch remained their primary focus far into the afternoon as Ron practiced various charms with his newly acquired wand until it was time to meet up with their friends in the Great Hall for the evening meal.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Severus Snape was feeling anything but restful even though he had actually managed to snatch a few hours of sleep the night before.  He looked up from his customary position at the Head table and glared at the subjects causing him his current bout of irritation as they continued to consume their breakfast as if nothing out of the ordinary were about to take place.  

He sighed and surreptitiously turned his attention to The-Boy-Who-Lived-to-be-a-Bloody-Thorn-in-his-Side and the corners of his mouth automatically began to form his trademark sneer.  Leave it to Potter to be quietly chatting away with his girlfriend when he should be doing something to assist Weasley and Granger to prepare for their meeting with Voldemort later that day.  Of course, were he honest with himself then he would have to admit that he didn't know that there was only so much that the boy could really do to help his friends in this particular instance.  Shaking his head, he decided that he would admit to no such thing either privately or in public.  After all, the anger that was currently coursing through his body as a result of the upcoming situation needed a tangible outlet and fixating on Potter was as good an outlet as anything else.  

Being satisfied with his justification, or lack thereof, he turned his attention toward the youngest of the Weasley boys and nearly choked on the hot coffee that was currently flooding his mouth.  Hadn't the boy's mother ever taught him that breakfast was not an activity in which one tried to make the Wizard Book of All Time Records by seeing exactly how many courses of food could be shoveled into one's mouth at once while still allowing the person in question to be able to talk.  He grimaced as a piece of half-chewed bacon flew from the young man's mouth to land firmly in the middle of the plate sat neatly in front of Hermione Granger.  From the look on her face, Severus would bet his last galleon that the girl was less than fond of her friend's poor table habits as well.

His thoughts were confirmed as an expression crossed the Head Girl's face that put him in mind of the time Minerva tasted one of Albus candy concoctions.  What had it been?  He couldn't recall the name after all this time but he remembered that it had been an oriental concoction. A Chinese plum… or maybe it was a sourball?  Whatever the name, it had left the Head of Gryffindor House with a face that could have given a prune a run for its galleons.  Between her expression from the offensive candy concoction and the hellish look she had bestowed upon Dumbledore, Snape could honestly say that he had never attended a more enjoyable staff meeting in all his time at Hogwarts.  

Pulling his attention back to the present, he watched as Hermione…  'Where did that come from?' he wondered, shaking his head and substituting 'Granger' in his mind instead.  Deciding not to dwell on his unusual lack of protocol in addressing a student, he watched as the young woman in question spoke sharply to her food spitting friend and then roughly pushed her plate away, having quite obviously lost her appetite.  He silently conceded that seeing Weasley's half eaten food land smack dab in the center of his plate would have been more than ample reason to cause him to do the same.  

Yes, he could understand the Granger girl.  That is to say, he could understand her drive to study and excel though he would never understand how someone so intelligent could show such poor taste when it came to choosing her friends.  He knew that her bookworm personality and bossy ways would never elevate her to the social status of one of the most popular students at Hogwarts, but despite her more annoying tendencies the girl did have friends and surprisingly enough they weren't all Gryffindors either.  But had acceptance been so important to her during her first year to make her stoop low enough to choose such intellectual inferiors as Potter and Weasley?  Perhaps she felt there wasn't a choice and it was either the two of them or no one at all?  He sighed as memories of his own isolation came back to him with startling clarity: isolation that had been a result of his intelligence and bookish ways.  Such traits, so similar to the bushy haired Gryffindor, had caused him pain and loneliness, but unlike the young woman that was currently occupying his thoughts, he had chosen to immerse himself in the forbidden pleasures of the Dark Arts in an attempt to block out the rejection and hurtful words of his peers.  It had made him feel powerful back then but look where it had landed him in the end.  No, his method of dealing with the situation hadn't proven to be any better than Granger's and he felt a slight twinge of sympathy for the young woman.  

Deciding that he had dawdled long enough over the morning fiasco that was breakfast, an event that the Headmaster insisted he attend, he tossed his napkin on the table, stood up and exited the Great Hall.  The time for contemplation and unwanted walks down memory lane had come to an end. After all, he had more important activities that demanded his attention: activities that required him to return to his dungeons and finalize plans for this upcoming afternoon. He only hoped that the Headmaster would not discover that he had altered their plans until after he had left the castle with Granger and Weasley in tow.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC  

Author's Note:   As always, thanks so much to those of you who have taken the time to review and tell me what you think of the story.  I had planned to move forward a little further with this chapter but Severus insisted on having a few moments to reflect before he becomes immersed in the upcoming 'event' of the day.  The beginnings of said event (at the very least) will begin next chapter.  

As always, thanks to my beta, OzRatbag2, for doing a wonderful job running through this chapter and getting this back to me in record time so that you all could read it ASAP.  

~Jules


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Thirteen~

Draco Malfoy had the uncomfortable feeling that he was missing something though he couldn't for the life of him say just exactly what that something might be.  Whatever the elusive something might be, it had the finely textured blond wisps of hair on the back of his neck standing straight on end in much the same way that a cat's fur stands on end when it is highly agitated.  He laughed silently to himself thinking that perhaps it might be an indication of his Animagus form though he had yet to begin the training.  Still, discovering that one could turn into a cat at any given moment couldn't be all that bad and he'd certainly have enough mobility to skulk around unnoticed.  It was a definite bonus as far as the Slytherin was concerned and he made a mental note to speak with Professor McGonagall before leaving Hogwarts.  Besides, a cat would be a much better choice than the ferret he had been briefly turned into so long ago. Although with the way his luck was running lately, he would complete the training only to find out that his Animagus form was just that: a little white ferret.

He took another bite of his breakfast and allowed his gaze to travel down the length of the Slytherin dining table.  Most of his fellow Slytherins were there with the exception of a few who had decided to forgo breakfast in order to sleep late and a few who had already finished their breakfast and exited the hall to prepare for the upcoming Hogsmeade trip that would commence in just under an hour.  He supposed that he really should go seeing that it was the last trip into the small Wizarding town that he would make while still a student.  Then again of course, there was always the added bonus of being able to keep an eye on some of his less than trustworthy Housemates. One could never be too certain what mischief some of them might be up to and Draco had learned throughout the years that it was better to be prepared ahead of time for their antics than to either be on the receiving end or wind up being the one who had to clean up the mess before any of the Professors found out.  Professor Flitwick might be tiny but the Wizard had a decided lack of tolerance when it came to Slytherin practical jokes and he always deducted a huge amount of House Points. It was a situation that had been known to irk Snape to no end and an angry Head of House made for an unhappy bunch of Slytherins. 

A shrill sound came from a short way down the table and Draco looked up to see the source of the hideous sound happily chatting away with Blaise.  A small smile tugged at Draco's lips as he watched Blaise and Pansy chatting quietly to one another.  From the way they kept looking around, it was obvious that they didn't want their conversation overheard and the blond Slytherin wondered why they didn't just cast a Silencing charm on themselves.  

The shrill sound rang throughout the Hall again and Draco smirked when he saw a few of the students from the other tables look up from their food and conversations to search for the source of the noise.  His smirk grew even wider as their eyes fell on Pansy who was oblivious to the distraction her unique laughter was creating.  Having lived with the girl for a number of years, most of the Slytherins had become accustomed to the odd noise and continued on with their meals as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Draco merely shook his head and took another bite of the croissant he held in his hand.  Flicking away a few stray flakes that had fallen onto his robe, he thought about the pair of students that had attracted his attention.  

Pansy Parkinson had been a long time acquaintance of the Malfoy family and there was even talk at one point of joining the two families via a marriage between himself and Pansy.  A small involuntary shudder ran through his body as he thought of a lifetime union between himself and the girl seated next to Blaise and he thanked Merlin and whoever else deserved credit that the Witch had been more attracted to the young man sitting next to her.  It wasn't that Draco despised her all that much or found her completely unattractive but more that he didn't trust her in even the smallest of ways.  He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Pansy would slit her own mother's throat if it suited her purpose and he could only imagine what she might do to a husband.  No, the thought of having to watch his wife's every move and sleeping with at least one of his eyes open for the rest of his life didn't inspire him to settle down with someone such as Pansy, no matter how influential her family might be.  

The glinting of light off of a small shiny object captured his attention and he leaned forward just a bit in the hopes of getting a better view.  Pansy and Blaise each held a small object no bigger than an inch in length and they each seemed to take quite an interest in the metallic looking items.  More so than Draco felt that such a small objects warranted.  Squinting ever so slightly, he was surprised to make out the forms of two tiny paperclips.                

_'Now why would they want paperclips,' _Draco wondered? He couldn't see what possible attraction could be gained by the intense concentration of his housemates on such an unimportant Muggle novelty. And yet, the pair of Slytherins were pointing, laughing and handing the paperclips back and forth as if the tiny objects carried some bizarre form of significance.  Unfortunately, he still was unable to hear their actual conversation and his mind began to ponder what the Slytherins might be up to.

Though he turned over several scenarios in his mind, he couldn't fathom the significance of the tiny objects.  They were such innocuous items and wouldn't raise any suspicions amongst anyone even if the Slytherin couple were up to something. Surely the shiny Muggle objects were not worthy of the type of attention being paid to them by Blaise and Pansy?  The more Draco observed their quiet banter the more worried he became.  No, a paperclip was not worth the amount of attention that his Housemates were wasting on it.  Something was up but he just couldn't fit the pieces together to form any sort of coherent answer.  He sighed with more than a hint of frustration evident in the breathy gasp of air and turned to leave the Great Hall.  He would have to keep an eye on those two during the course of the next few days and that irritated him to no end.  Wasn't it bad enough that he had to watch over the infamous Gryffindor trio?  Now he had to add two of his own Housemates to the list as well.  He made his way out the doors and headed toward his room to grab his broom.  It was a clear day and most of the students would be headed to Hogsmeade.  He would take a few minutes to fly around the Quidditch pitch and clear his thoughts before heading into town. He needed to think and he needed to do so now.  He was bound and determined to figure out what was going on and he had the sinking feeling that time was most definitely of the essence.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Ah, Severus," the voice of the Headmaster echoed off of the stones of the dungeon walls, "I thought that I might find you here."

Snape looked up momentarily, not bothering to hide the look of irritation that crossed his face.  "How intuitive of you, Albus, considering that you no doubt noticed my exit from the Great Hall less than half an hour ago.  Not to mention the fact that I can usually be found in the dungeons when I am not being summoned to your office."

The Headmaster had the grace to look slightly abashed in the face of the Potions Master's words but fully entered the lab to stand next to one of the workbenches where the Professor was examining a small set of vials.  

"Is everything ready for this afternoon?" Dumbledore questioned quietly, knowing that Snape would understand the question despite the general terms it had been shrouded in.  

"As far as I am aware, everything is as we discussed previously," the Potions Master replied with a hint of nonchalance.  "Really, Albus, you would think that after so many years of this type of work that you would realize such questions are unnecessary."

"I am merely assuring myself that all is well," the Headmaster replied quietly while something tugged at the back of his mind.  It was as if something wasn't quite right but the Potions Master had seemed honest enough in his irritation and there was no reason for him to rebel against their plans after all this time.  Or was there?  It was a thought that discomforted the older Wizard more than he cared to admit.  

"Yes, Albus, all is well at least for the time being," Snape replied with an air of exasperation.  Placing the vials in a small bag, he turned his attention toward the Headmaster.  "However, I cannot guarantee that the situation will remain that way for very much longer.  You do realize that this plan has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese and I see very little logic in deliberately presenting these particular students to the Dark Lord.  There is far too much that can go wrong and my options will be decidedly limited should the need arise to pull them away on a moment's notice."

"That is what the _Perattrahere_ spell is for," Dumbledore quietly reminded him. Digging into one of the pockets on his elaborately brocaded robes, he pulled out three objects and placed them on the workbench.  

Snape looked down at the objects that shone softly in the dim lighting of the dungeon lab and looked back at the Headmaster with a raised eyebrow.  "I take it that these talismans are for the spell?" he asked sardonically, looking over the objects.

"Naturally," the Wizard answered.  "The belt buckles are for both yourself and Mr. Weasley, while the bracelet is for Miss Granger.  Each item contains the appropriate strand of hair within its center and I have already cast the incantations that will bind each of your DNA to mine for the purpose of the spell."

"Lovely," Snape replied sarcastically, eyeing the small belt buckle with the Hogwart's Crest emblazoned across it.  "You couldn't think of anything less obvious?"

"If you're referring to the Crest then you should be thankful, Severus," Dumbledore replied and Snape was appalled to see that the usual twinkle had returned to their depths.  

"Thankful?" he questioned, knowing full well that the Headmaster's response would leave him anything but thankful.  Still, there was no way around playing Albus' little games and sometimes it was better to just graciously play along rather than to try and fight the inevitable. 

"Yes of course," the Headmaster answered with a large smile peeking through the masses of white hair that comprised his beard.  "I had originally enchanted the belt buckle to look like the Gryffindor mascot."

Shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation, Snape wondered yet again how his life had come to the point where he had to answer to the whims of two certifiably insane Wizards.  The Dark Lord's insanity was obvious to everyone especially when he continued to conduct raids on Muggle communities and rack up staggering death tolls.  The insanity of Albus Dumbledore was much more sedate and in Severus' opinion, that made him an even bigger danger than Voldemort because you never truly knew where you stood.  The man would crack jokes at the most inopportune times and then turn around and sacrifice someone upon occasion for the _'good of the Cause'_.  It was frightening in some ways and not for the first time, Snape wished that the war was over once and for all so that he could leave this lifestyle for one in which he didn't have to deal with such charmed duplicity. Slytherin or no, he had just about had enough. 

"Then I am immensely grateful," Snape replied with a staggering amount of derision in his voice, "as I have no doubt that had the Dark Lord seen me wearing such an object, that I would have had much to answer for."

"Yes, I surmised as much," Dumbledore laughed before turning serious eyes toward the Potions Master.  "Do the best that you can this evening, Severus, but under no circumstances are you to compromise your position.  Is that clear?"

"Even if it means sacrificing the lives of Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger?" Severus asked with a touch of venom in his voice.  

"Even then," the Headmaster agreed softly.  "It is a difficult decision but we must look toward the future.  Without the intelligence that you provide, it will be much more difficult to ensure that such a future is one filled with Light as opposed to the chaos that Voldemort would prefer to see."

"They are just children, Albus.  They do not deserve to be casualties of war."

"No one does," Dumbledore softly agreed.  "But it is far better to sacrifice a few rather than to sacrifice many." 

"And you have the right to decide whose life is important and whose life isn't quite so necessary?" Snape snarled, having had more than enough of both this particular conversation and his so-called orders.

"Someone has to," the Headmaster said flatly and Severus could see the glint of defiance and determination in the other man's eyes.  "You will follow your orders, Severus.  I understand that you do not agree with my decision but it will stand nonetheless.  Are we clear on this point?"

"Absolutely," Snape bit out, resisting the almost overpowering urge to raise his voice to the man now standing directly in front of him. It would not do to make the Headmaster too suspicious and he still had to enact his own revisions to Dumbledore's plan.  It was something that he would be unable to do if the Wizard decided to visit him in the dungeons during the upcoming detention. 

"Good.  I expect that you will be meeting Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger in the Potions classroom at two o'clock then?"

"Yes, and they will serve detention until four o'clock at which time I will _Obliviate_ them and take them to the Dark Lord," Snape explained the upcoming itinerary.  "I am hoping that by taking them far enough in advance of the Dark Revel that I will be able to arrange for their escape before too many Death Eaters arrive.  The fewer people we have to convince and evade the better."

"I see your point.  Will you need my assistance with any of this?" the Headmaster asked, eyeing the Potions Master curiously.  "I could assist with the _Obliviate_s."

"Honestly, Albus, do you think me so incompetent that I cannot even perform such a small task on my own?" Snape chided, not wanting the Headmaster to be anywhere near the dungeons when it finally came time to carry out their plans.  

"I am merely offering, Severus. However, since you seem to feel that you have the situation well under control, then I'll leave you to it." 

Dumbledore had just turned to exit the lab when the deep tones of Snape's voice caused him to halt in mid stride.

"Albus, you do plan on using the _Perattrahere_ spell should we not arrive back within the allotted amount of time, don't you?"  Snape questioned, a mixture of genuine concern and curiosity lacing his voice.

"Should the need arise then of course I will utilize the spell," Dumbledore assured him though the Potions Master noticed that his voice didn't carry the conviction it had when he had been extolling the possible need to sacrifice Weasley and Granger. "Provided of course that it is prudent to do so at the time." 

A simple nod of his head was the only response that Snape would offer and after a moment of intensely scrutinizing the Potions Master, Dumbledore returned the nod and exited the dungeons with a very uneasy feeling resting in the center of his chest.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Is everything all set then?" Harry asked nervously, looking worriedly at his two best friends.  

"We're fine, mate," Ron assured him and was pleased to note that he had actually sounded fairly convincing.  Of course, he was certain that the fact that he had managed to keep the nervous stuttering out of his voice had helped his credibility tremendously.

"Everything will be fine, Harry," Hermione whispered softly and gave him a reassuring hug.  "We'll be back before you know it." 

The-Boy-Who-Lived pulled back from her embrace just far enough so that he could look steadily at her.  "You and Ron are family to me, Hermione.  I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to either one of you."

"All the more reason for us to make certain that nothing is going to happen to us," Ron announced with a wry grin.  "Besides, Hermione has promised to give me my magazine back just as soon as we return and I figure that's worth coming home for. So you see, Harry, you're still stuck with us."

"What Ron means to say is that we both have a lot to return to and we have no intention of getting ourselves killed tonight," Hermione explained, shaking her head in disbelief at the way her friend had tried to explain their feelings.  Still, it seemed as if Harry had understood what Ron had been trying to convey so who was she to question it too deeply?  Perhaps it was just a guy thing?  If that was the case then she was fully prepared to admit that she would never understand it all and she doubted that even the Hogwarts library, vast though it was, would contain a book that might explore the strange lingo often noted amongst her male friends. 

"I just wish that I could go with you or take your place or do something other than just wait around and count on Snape," Harry grumbled, still uncomfortable with the thought of entrusting his friends' well-being to the Potions Master.  

"You can do something," Hermione insisted, giving him a small smile.  "You can go meet Susan and take her to Hogsmeade.  That will help keep your mind off of things and quite frankly she's been pretty patient with all of this during the past week.  Take her out and spend some time with her.  You both deserve it."

"Hermione's right, Harry," Ron agreed.  "Just remember to stop by Honeydukes and pick up some Chocolate Frogs while you're there."

"Always thinking with your stomach, Ron," Hermione groused good-naturedly. 

"Is there anything else to think with?" the red haired young man asked with a mock look of seriousness. 

Just then Susan came walking up to the group with a bright smile on her face.  The smile slipped ever so slightly when she saw the nervous expressions on the trio's faces but she bade them hello and came to stand beside Harry nonetheless. 

"Ron was just reminding Harry to stop by Honeydukes," Hermione told the young Witch by way of breaking the tension.  

"We can do that," Susan agreed amicably, the smile returning.  "It's such a shame that you both have to spend the afternoon in detention.  Was there anything that you wanted us to bring back for you, Hermione?"

"No, I'm fine," she said softly.  

"You two had better be going then," Ron reminded them, pointing at the groups of students that had already exited the castle and were heading for Hogsmeade.  

"I guess you're right," he answered reluctantly, still uncomfortable with the task he knew awaited his friends and knowing that there was absolutely nothing he could do to help them.

Hermione reached over and gave him another hug while quietly whispering in his ear.  "Trust Snape, Harry. We'll be alright."

He didn't really have time to answer as Susan was already tugging on his arm to guide him out of the castle. It took several minutes before he stopped glancing back at the entryway to where his friends had stood waving goodbye.  

He felt tears rush to his eyes and he once again cursed the fact that there was nothing more that he could do but trust in their own abilities as well as those of his despised Potions Master. No matter what he told himself though, one simple phrase continued to repeat itself in his mind with the regularity of a broken record.

'It shouldn't have had to be like this…'

It was a sentiment that he wholly concurred with and he could only wait and hope that he hadn't just bade a final goodbye to the two best friends he had ever known; the only friends that had ignored the fame associated with his name and truly accepted him for who was. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

The remainder of the morning had passed by at a snail's pace and Ron had just beaten Hermione at their fourth straight game of Wizard's Chess. 

"Ah, come on, Hermione," I know it's not your favorite game but even you aren't usually this bad at it."

The Head Girl gave her friend an irritated glance and looked back at the watch fastened securely to her wrist.  "I told you that I didn't want to play. You should have listened."

"You said that you didn't want to play but you didn't say anything about not trying at all if you were to play," he grumbled, putting the bickering chess pieces back in their box.  "Besides, what else was there to do?  We don't have any schoolwork, there isn't any Quidditch practice and we've already eaten lunch."

"Quidditch and food…whatever would you do without them?" She asked sarcastically, though her voice didn't really have much of a bite to it as it had during the past few days. 

"I'd probably die of starvation and boredom, especially since you can't seem to play a decent game of Wizard's Chess," he replied with a laugh and shoved his last Chocolate Frog into his mouth with a display of theatrics that had the nervous Witch smiling for the first time that afternoon.

"It's time to go," she announced and walked hesitantly to the entryway of the Gryffindor Common Room. Knowing that there was no way out of what awaited them, she hunched her shoulders and took a deep breath. Whatever happened this day, she was determined that she would meet it head on and with dignity. She was, after all, a Gryffindor.

Apparently, Ron was having similar thoughts although rather than hunching his shoulders he took a giant gulp of air and nearly choked on the last vestiges of his Chocolate Frog.  After sputtering and coughing as the chocolate burned his throat, he looked up to his friend who was patting him on the back and simply muttered, "Let's go."

It was with very heavy hearts that they made their way to the dungeons below.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Do you have your cloak?" Blaise asked, looking nervously at Pansy.

"I've got it," she snapped and then grabbed a mask off of her bed and stuffed it into the pocket of the cloak.  "Do you have your mask?"

"Got it," the young man answered with a very smug smile.  "Do you have that thing that Lucius sent us?"

"Yes," she answered, pulling a paperclip out of the pocket of her trousers.  "It's not like we could pull this plan off without it."

"No, we're definitely going to need these," Blaise agreed, fingering his own paperclip that rested securely inside the pocket of his shirt.  "Keep your Death Eater Robes hidden.  It wouldn't do for the whole school to figure out that we've joined the Dark Lord and walking through the hallways with these in plain sight would probably attract a fair amount of attention."

"Why do we need them anyway?" Pansy asked, not wanting to risk being caught. She knew that the penalty for being an active Death Eater was a frighteningly long sentence in Azkaban and she shuddered at the thought of having to face the Dementors on a daily basis. 

"Because we don't want Granger and Weasley to know that it's us," he answered with a touch of exasperation.  "Besides, just think of their expressions when they turn around and see two fully decked out Death Eaters heading straight for them."

A smile lit Pansy's face at the thought and she rolled the cloak into a ball and tucked it under her arm.  "What about Professor Snape?"

"He can't stay in the classroom forever and when he leaves we'll be ready to get them. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed and with one final look around the room to make certain they hadn't forgotten anything, the two Slytherins headed toward the dungeons.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Cowering in the hallway will not lessen your detention," Snape commented loudly enough to where anyone passing outside of the Potions classroom would hear.  No sooner than he had uttered the words, two very nervous Gryffindors shuffled into the dungeons and made their way, wide-eyed, to where he stood at the front of the classroom.

Casting a quick _Silencing_ spell on the room, he motioned for Ron and Hermione to have a seat before coming to stand directly in front of them.  Pulling a small bag out of the pocket of his robes, he removed two small clear glass vials and carefully sat them down on the desk.  

"I am assuming that you two recognize the contents of these vials?" he asked abruptly and Hermione was surprised to note that his voice did not contain the usual mocking tone that he adopted in class.  

Ron looked confused but Hermione instantly recognized the midnight blue color of the Mind-Strengthening potion that they had brewed the day before in class. 

_'So he did have an ulterior motive for having us brew it,'_ she thought to herself. 

Evidently her thoughts were reflected in her facial expressions because a wry smile crossed the Potions Master's face.  "Yes, Miss Granger, I deliberately changed the Potions curriculum so that your class would have to brew the Mind Strengthening potion for today's fiasco."

"But why have us brew it when you knew that most of us would fail?" Ron asked, his voice accusatory as he remembered the near failing grade he had received for his efforts.  

"Because, Mr. Weasley, it would have been suspicious if certain people had seen me brewing such a potion whereas if they thought that it was simply part of the Potions curriculum, they wouldn't question it.  In addition to that, I had no doubt that at least one member of your class would be able to brew the potion correctly, despite its complexity."

Hermione's jaw nearly dropped in shock as the Professor had been looking directly at her during the last part of his answer.  For seven long years she had waited for a compliment or at least some form of acknowledgement that her potions ability was anything but non-existent and now she had finally received it. Naturally it was in the form of a backhanded, indirect compliment but she didn't care.  It was acknowledgment all the same and something inside her began to glow with the warmth of a freshly tended fire.              

"But if you are going to _Obliviate_ us, then why the added precaution of a Mind Strengthening potion?" she asked hesitantly.

"Because it has been decided that you are not to be Obliviated.  Instead, you will place your memories that are specific to the Order and to my role within the Order into a Pensieve."

"But the memories, or at least some fragments of the memories, will still remain," Hermione reflected, recalling what she had read some time ago about Pensieves and their reliability within the magical world.  "How would that ensure that Voldemort doesn't find out anything about the Order?"

Snape looked at the young woman sitting in front of him and had to concede to a certain amount of admiration.  She had obviously read about Pensieves at some point during her time at Hogwarts and she had deduced enough to understand the limitations of such a device.  Furthermore, she was able to apply such deficiencies to a broader concept and produce a logical, well-founded question.  

"There is no guarantee and it is my hope that the Mind Strengthening potion will be enough in combination with the use of the pensieve to counter any type of Legilimens that the Dark Lord may direct at you.  However, the potion is only good for a specific, and I remind you… a short, period of time so you must keep these vials on your person until I tell you that it is time to imbibe them.  The plan is to present you to the Dark Lord, arrange for a distraction, have you escape and then allow you to utilize a Portkey to return to Grimmauld Place as returning to Hogwarts may not be safe for the two of you. I will provide you with the Portkey just before we leave and you will use it if it is safe to do so.  Otherwise you will hide until the Headmaster summons you back to Hogwarts with the _Perattrahere_ spell.  You will need to be vigilant as I do not know in advance what type of distraction I will be able to create and I will be tasked with the job of not only creating the distraction but also of determining some way of covertly notifying you when to escape.  You will not, under any circumstances, utilize the Portkey until I indicate that it is appropriate to do so. All of this must be accomplished without allowing the Dark Lord to know of my true loyalties.  Do you understand? "

"Yes, sir," she answered obediently, while Ron merely nodded his head in affirmation.  

"We will remain here for the next two hours so that it appears to those few students that declined the Hogsmeade trip that you are indeed serving detention.  We will then leave to meet with the Dark Lord.  Just before we arrive, I will Obliviate your knowledge of your arrival and plant a new memory in your minds that will corroborate my own story.  Is that clear?"

"But why would you Obliviate us then when we've already placed our memories in the Pensieve?" Ron asked, not following the Professor's line of reasoning.

Severus looked at the young man in question and fought the urge to simply shake his head in complete exasperation.  "Because, Mr. Weasley, as you pointed out, your memories of my involvement within the Order will have already been placed within the Pensieve prior to leaving this classroom.  Now, I can escort the two of you out of Hogwarts by donning Death Eater garments and placing you under _Imperio_ so that you accompany me with a minimum of fuss.  I can assure you that since you will not remember my involvement within the Order that you will be suitably traumatized by the entire experience and should have no trouble convincing the Dark Lord that you believe anything other than the fact that you were abducted.  This plan has one major flaw in that I would have to be dressed in full Death Eater regalia and the chances of someone seeing us are greater than I am willing to accept considering that it will still be daylight when we leave Hogwarts.

"Is there another option?" Hermione questioned softly, hoping that the Professor did indeed have an alternate plan to the one he had just presented them with.

"There is," he replied just as softly, staring intently at the young woman. "The other option would be that I have you place the bulk of your memories in the Pensieve and then, seeing as you won't remember that I am indeed on your side in this matter, I can give you a brief run-through of the plan here in the classroom which will allow you to come willingly and erase the need to place you under _Imperio_.  Needless to say, this choice is less risky as people will be far less likely to question a Professor walking the grounds accompanied by two of his students; students that are known to have been assigned detention for the afternoon with that very same Professor.   We will arrive and I will Obliviate the memory of your journey to our destination while altering your memories to make you believe that you were indeed abducted from the school during detention and placed under _Imperio_.  I will also plant a suggestion in your minds that will enable you to instinctively trust me and wait for my sign to escape and activate the Portkey rather than doing something foolish that will result in bringing about an unfortunate end to all of our lives."   

He watched as both students reluctantly agreed before continuing.  "Miss Granger, you have my word that I will only _Obliviate_ precisely what I have told you.  I will not _Obliviate_ anything else so you may remove the panicked look from your face as it is entirely unnecessary."

"But why don't you just _Obliviate_ everything like you were going to do before?" Ron asked, completely confused by Snape's change of plans.  

"Because your memories of the Order, not to mention my own role and the knowledge that Mr. Potter holds, are too extensive to remove them without permanent consequences."

"Permanent consequences?" Ron gulped, staring up at the man who towered above them.

"He means that they won't be able to restore everything, Ron. At least not without risking damaging our minds," Hermione answered in simple English for her friend's benefit.  "There's simply too much information and our minds couldn't cope with the trauma it would cause."

Snape looked at the young Witch and bit back a sarcastic retort in regards to her usual know-it-all habit of butting into a conversation.  He reminded himself that the girl was probably more than a little nervous, though he was happy to see that she wasn't in hysterics as some girls her age would have been.  Given the circumstances, he concluded that he would probably fare better in this particular situation if he showed a modicum of tolerance.  Besides, she was correct in her answer. 

"Miss Granger, is correct," he replied simply, eyebrow raised and glancing directly at the stunned Witch as if daring her to speak further.  "There is no way that we can replace such a vast amount of memories without potential damage to your minds.  As she has already stated, there is simply too much information and the chances of your minds successfully adapting would be minimal at best."

"Dumbledore didn't say anything about permanent consequences," Ron protested. 

"No, he didn't," Snape answered and Hermione had the feeling that there was more to that answer than met the eye.   

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione whispered softly, turning her head to look away momentarily.  Snape had thought he saw the slightest hint of a tear in her eye but couldn't be entirely certain.  It was only then that he realized how much she must have worried over such a procedure, especially since she had already figured out the ramifications on her own.  She had known that she would not be able to recoup all of her memories, despite her earlier bravado in the Headmaster's office to the contrary, and yet she still sat here waiting for him to cast an _Obliviate_ so that this half-baked plan could move forward.  It said a lot for her character and spoke volumes as to just exactly how much she was willing to give up for Potter and the Order.  A strange surge of emotion momentarily coursed through him and he was appalled to realize that somehow he had come to feel quite protective of the young woman.  She reminded him so much of himself that is was quite unnerving at times.  He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and concentrated on the matter at hand.  Emotions were not an asset in his line of work and could only serve to get him killed.  Now he had the lives of Weasley and Granger to worry about as well.  He silently cursed the Headmaster for allowing this plan to go this far. 

He merely nodded in response to her softly spoken words of thanks and continued to outline the plan that they would be following.  

"I will need to collect your wands," he informed them briskly, putting his hand out in anticipation of their compliance.  He noticed the hesitant look that passed between them but was pleased when they didn't offer any objections or plead for him to change his mind.  As much as he hated leaving them defenseless, he could not deliver them to the Dark Lord while they were still in possession of such potentially lethal objects.  It would arouse too much suspicion as Voldemort knew that Severus was too thorough to overlook such a detail and it would earn him an unwanted dose of _Crucio_ at best, and possibly cost him his life at worst.  No, he would just have to hope that they would be able to escape using whatever distraction he could provide and that they could accomplish such a task without the aid of their wands.  It was certain to make their task that much more complicated but there was simply no other choice.  

After having collected their wands and placing them in one of the pockets of his robe, he handed them the talismans that the Headmaster had delivered earlier that morning.  

"Miss Granger, please place this on your wrist and do not remove it at any time as by doing so you will be unable to complete the link with the Headmaster for the _Perattrahere_ spell.  Without the link, he will be unable to summon you to his location should the need arise.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," she answered, studying the unusual bracelet with more than a touch of curiosity.  The bracelet was pewter with a large red stone in the middle that she supposed carried the strand of the Headmaster's hair that would establish the link between the two of them.  Decorating either side of the stone was a script that looked to be Elvish in nature though she couldn't be certain having never studied the language.  She wondered at the origin of the bracelet and why the Headmaster had chosen that particular piece of jewelry since she usually wore none at all. 

"I know neither the reason behind why the Headmaster saw fit to choose that particular bauble or the significance of its origin," the Potions Master told her, having once again correctly deduced her thoughts by examining her facial expressions.  She frowned at the idea that he could read her so easily and looked up to see an answering smirk cross his facial features.  Obviously he found her irritation amusing.  

"Mr. Weasley, please attach this to the belt on your trousers," Snape ordered, handing him the belt buckle that had been enchanted to use for the spell.  "I am certain that I need not tell you that the same rules apply to keeping this on your person at all times as they do to Miss Granger."

"Yes, sir," Ron answered, removing his belt and attaching the new buckle in place of the old one.  

Once the Potions Master was satisfied that the magical items were in place, he ordered them to remain seated while he went to collect the Pensieves they would use to temporarily store their memories in.  He hadn't been gone more than a minute when Ron and Hermione heard a sudden noise at the back of the classroom and turned to see two Death Eaters staring at them, wands in hand.  

Glancing at one another, Hermione immediately ducked under the table and shouted for the Professor while Ron automatically reached for his wand, forgetting that he had surrendered it to Snape just moments before.  Realizing his error, he reached for the spare wand that Harry had provided him with, but his error had cost him valuable time and he was knocked over by a _Stunning_ spell before his fingers ever connected with the soft wood of the newly acquired magical item.  

With a loud shriek, Hermione reached up to the table, unobtrusively grabbed the vials of Mind Strengthening potion and pocketed them before the Death Eaters turned their attention from her stunned friend to her own frightened form.  The shorter of the Death Eaters raised a wand and sent a _Stunning_ spell her way, which she immediately ducked and evaded.  

A noise was heard from the back room and both Death Eaters recognized the sounds of Professor Snape returning to the classroom.  Seeing that this was Lucius' plan and not the Dark Lord's, they were unsure of the Head of Slytherin's reaction to abducting students from his classroom even if they were the annoying friends of Harry Potter's.  Somehow they intuitively realized that Death Eater or not, Snape would be less than pleased.  

_'No, better be done with this before he comes back,'_ Blaise decided and pulled the paperclip out of his pocket while rushing to kneel next to Ron's unmoving form.  Motioning for Pansy to catch Hermione and do the same, he leaned over and grabbed Ron's arm while murmuring an incantation.  A moment later the two had vanished into thin air.  

Pansy, sensing the imminent danger of discovery and not wanting to face up to the consequences of either Lucius Malfoy or Professor Snape's wrath, lunged for Hermione and was rewarded with a handful of bushy brown hair.  Pulling out the paperclip, she murmured an incantation and the two women vanished from sight just as the Potions Master re-entered the class with wand drawn, ready to defend.  

He didn't know what exactly had just transpired or on whose orders, but one thing was certain:  Death Eaters had just entered Hogwarts and abducted two of his students by Portkey.  The very two students he was expected to present to Voldemort later that afternoon or pay a penalty in the form of forfeiting his life.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC 

Author's Note:   My apologies on taking a little while with this chapter but it's more than twice the length of the usual chapters so I am hoping that everyone will take that into consideration.  There were several points in the chapter where I wanted to stop (due to the length) but I promised that we would at least get to the beginning of the detention and I wanted to keep that promise.  The next chapter is already written and will be nearly as long as this.  I just need to review the changes that my beta has suggested (OzRatbag2-  to whom I owe a huge round of thanks) so it will probably be out by the end of the week.  For those of you that have sent well wishes and inquired about my health:  Thank you and things are improving. I am now off bed rest and have started back to work (as of today) so it will take me a little while to get back into the swing of things.  As always, my sincere thanks to those of you that have taken the time to review and I hope that this chapter was enjoyable. 

~Jules      


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Fourteen~

It was with great trepidation that Hermione opened her eyes and looked around the tiny room.  A narrow shaft of light pushed its way into the dimly lit area through a small crack in the wall and she could tell by its low-lying position that it must be fairly late in the afternoon. Aside from that solitary source of light, she had nothing else on which to base her conclusions as she could detect no windows, nor any form of artificial lighting.   

A soft groan caused her to quickly turn her head in alarm as she prepared herself for the possibility of facing more Death Eaters. She had no idea where she was and her captors had already hinted at the monstrosities she would face later that evening. She heard the noise once again and was dismayed to note that it was slightly louder this time and seemed to have more strength behind it.  Suddenly, her eyes detected the outline of a prone figure not more than three feet away and the tension in her body eased ever so slightly as she recognized the silhouette of Ron Weasley. 

"Oy!" the young man exclaimed, opening his eyes and peering up into her anxious face.  Although he couldn't see with any great clarity, he would recognize the bushy hair of his childhood friend anywhere.  The fact that she was currently chewing on her lower lip was also a dead give away, and he realized suddenly that their situation must really be grim.  It was unlike Hermione to remain quiet in such a situation and she hadn't chastised him for being unconscious when they needed to turn their attentions to escaping from wherever it was the Death Eaters had taken them.

_'Death Eaters!'_ his mind screamed and his senses immediately went on full alert. The scene in the Potions classroom flooded his mind and he forced himself to recall the details of the encounter.  Well, as many details as he could remember considering that he had been stunned almost immediately.  He only hoped that they hadn't harmed Hermione in any way or he would seriously make them pay.  Of course, he wasn't certain how he would accomplish such a task given his current incarceration, but somehow he vowed to see his silent promise through.  

"Are you okay, Ron?" Hermione questioned anxiously, leaning over to help her friend to an upright position.  

"Yes, but remind me never to give anyone my wand again," he muttered.  

"Do you still have the new wand with you?" she questioned, feeling for her own spare wand that she had surreptitiously tucked into the side seam that ran down the inside of her skirt.  

"No, they must have taken it away from me when they brought us here," the young man grumbled with more than a hint of disgust lacing his voice. "What about you?"

"It's still here," she breathed softly and the Gryffindor could hear the relief in her voice.  "They must have thought that I left it back in the classroom."

"Lucky for us," he commented and looked at her expectantly.  When she seemed to be doing nothing more than examining her surroundings, he nudged her impatiently.  "Well, go on!"

"Go on with what?" she asked, exasperation and fear lacing her voice.  

"You know… use the wand to get us out of here!"  It was a good thing that the room was so dimly lit or she would have been more than a little aggravated to note that her friend was looking at her with an expression on his face that suggested she might have grown a second head.  

"It's not very reliable," she muttered, fingering the wooden instrument.  

"Well it's better than nothing and aside from that wand, I would have to say that that is exactly what we've got… nothing."

"Don't you think that we should try to figure out where we are and why we were kidnapped first?" she asked thoughtfully.  "I mean it doesn't make sense really.  If Voldemort wanted us brought before him then why send a couple of Death Eaters to carry out the task when he had already assigned it to Snape?  That would defeat the whole purpose of discovering if he was loyal to Voldemort, wouldn't it?  And how did the Death Eaters get into Hogwarts in the first place?"

"Who cares?" Ron argued, wanting nothing more than to be out of the unfamiliar dark place.  "They aren't here now and that's all that matters.  Let's get out of here before they decide to come back and do Merlin knows what to us. I've heard about what the Death Eaters do to their prisoners and I really don't want to experience any of those things first hand.  We can theorize all we want as to why and how we came to be here once we've returned to Hogwarts."

"But look around you, Ron," she pleaded, indicating the darkened room.  

"I have looked, Hermione, and I can honestly say that I don't care for what little I can see," he answered and she could hear the slight wavering in his voice.  "It's too bad that Snape hadn't given us those Portkeys yet.  We could have used them to just vanish out of here and the Death Eaters would have been none the wiser as to how we got them in the first place."

"But there is the _Perattrahere_ spell," she reminded him; hope entering her voice for the first time since she had awakened to find herself imprisoned in the tiny room.  

Ron felt for the talisman disguised as a belt buckle and was pleased to note that the Death Eaters hadn't taken it as they had taken his spare wand.  "Good thinking, 'Mione.  If we can't get out of here on our own then we can just wait until Dumbledore summons us back.  Snape must have figured things out by now and I'll bet that he's already told the Headmaster what happened."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement and automatically reached for the bracelet that constituted her own talisman.  Her eyes widened in a combination of shock and fear and she quickly reached for her other wrist before letting out a dismayed gasp. 

"What's the matter?" Ron asked 

"It's gone!"

"What's gone?" he asked confused and then paused as his addled brain put two and two together.  "The bracelet?"

"Yes."

"But it can't be," he exclaimed, fear forming a knot in his stomach.  "If they didn't take mine then it means that they haven't figured out what it is and that means that they couldn't have figured out what your bracelet really is either."

"Well it's gone and I don't see it lying anywhere around here," she snapped, tears coming to her eyes.  

"Okay, let's think about this," he reasoned, sensing the witch was about at the end of her patience.  "What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were in the classroom and they had just hit you with a _Stunning_ spell.  One of the Death Eaters ran over to you and pulled out something that looked like a paperclip.  He touched your arm and the two of you vanished from sight. Obviously it was a Portkey enchanted to bring us here."

"And then what happened?" he asked, more than a little disgusted that he had allowed himself to be such an easy target.

"The other Death Eater grabbed my hair and pulled out another paperclip.  I saw Professor Snape run into the classroom, wand in hand, but it was too late.  The Death Eater had already said the incantation and the next thing I knew we were in a room with two other Death Eaters.  They started passing me back and forth while they laughed and taunted me and then they began telling me what they were going to do and well…"

"What did they do, Hermione?" he asked softly, his anger rising as he had a very good idea of what the Death Eaters might have done to his best friend.  After all, the Dark Lord's followers hadn't earned their reputations by being nice to people.  

"They…" her voice faltered but she lifted her chin and took a deep breath, determined to act like the adult that she was quickly becoming.  "They began touching me and laughing and grabbing at my clothes and then another Death Eater came in and told them to stop. He said there would be plenty of opportunity for that sort of thing later this evening and that he didn't want them to damage the _'toys'_ before their Master had a chance to play."

"But they didn't…" his voice trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into words and sickened by the promise of what they would do to the young woman kneeling beside him.  Though he had harbored feelings of a more romantic nature for her at one time, they had decided during the summer of their sixth year that they were better suited as friends and an almost sibling type of bond had formed between them.  The thought that anyone would even so much as attempt to defile her in such a manner made his blood boil and it was with great effort that he kept his voice low and even so as to not upset her further. 

"No, Ron, they didn't do anything like _that_ to me," she replied softly, thankful for the concern that he was showing and the support of his friendship.  She shuddered at the thought of what would happen to the both of them later that evening if the Death Eaters had their way and was thankful that Dumbledore would at least be able to use the Perattrahere spell to summon Ron back to safety.  Perhaps she could use her wand to make some sort of getaway herself.  After all, the Death Eaters were under the impression that she was unarmed and their surprise at discovering otherwise could be used to her advantage.  It was a long shot but at the moment it was all she had.  

"Good," he replied, reaching out to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.  "We'll get out of this, Hermione.  We always do."

A heartfelt smile momentarily lit her face and for the briefest of moments she allowed herself to believe his words.  However, being the realist that she was, the moment passed all too quickly and she resumed her rendition of the events that had led them to the small room they now found themselves sequestered.  

"The other Death Eaters protested saying that they would make certain they left enough of me for everyone but the new Death Eater insisted that I wasn't to be harmed. They did as he ordered and simply stood on either side of me as if they were afraid that I was going to try and make a run for it.  As if I would even think of attempting to escape and leave you lying there unconscious!  I remember wishing that they would stand on the other side of the room because the breath on the one man was perfectly rancid.  Unfortunately, they never left my side."

She stopped momentarily when she saw the way Ron's body had tensed and she patted his shoulder reassuringly. 

"I'm okay, Ron," she assured him and then reached over to give him a hug.  "Honestly.  They wouldn't be Death Eaters if they had offered me tea and biscuits rather than make lewd threats, would they?"

"They're not even human!" Ron exclaimed angrily, the muscle under his eye twitching as a result of the anger that was welling up inside of him. 

"No, Ron, they're all too human," she protested softly before resuming her narrative.

"Anyway, the new Death Eater traced the outline of my jaw with the tip of his cane and told me not to worry that I would get to _'play'_ soon enough.  He then asked me a few questions about Professor Snape and wanted to know if he was working for Dumbledore.  I flippantly answered that of course he was working for Dumbledore seeing that he was the Potions instructor for Hogwarts and that any First Year would have found such a question to be exceedingly obvious.  He got this really cold look in his eyes, backhanded me across the cheek that he had touched just moments before with his cane and then told me that I would be wise to watch my manners, especially considering that I was dependent upon his good graces. He then reminded me that I'm nothing more than a lowly Mudblood and told me that I should be grateful that he had been so accommodating thus far." 

She stopped momentarily and even though the room was poorly lit, Ron had no trouble seeing the spark of anger that shone in her eyes at the archaic insult levied against her ancestry.  For a brief moment, he almost pitied the Death Eater, as he knew that if Hermione ever got the chance, she would make him pay for such treatment. Deep down, he hoped she got the chance to do just that and he swore that he would be right there at her side to help her in any way he possibly could.  

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to remain calm, Hermione continued recounting the events that had led them to their current situation. 

"He then went on to boast about how Snape was supposed to deliver us to the Dark Lord this evening and that the penalty for failing to do so would be his death. He seemed very pleased by the thought of the Professor's demise and made several uncomplimentary remarks toward him. I got the impression that the Professor had managed to gain Voldemort's favor and that this man was jealous as a result. Judging by the way he ordered the other Death Eaters around, I would say that he gets a kick out of controlling others and knowing Professor Snape, I doubt that he would allow this man to control him in any way."

"I can't imagine anyone being thick-headed enough to try," Ron muttered half under his breath.  

"Neither can I," Hermione agreed, having heard the comment clearly enough. "I acted shocked and unbelieving when he told me that Snape was a highly ranked Death Eater and that the only reason he was at Hogwarts was to spy on Dumbledore and the Order.  I then told him in no uncertain terms that he was crazy if he thought for a moment that I would believe such an obvious lie and that while Professor Snape might be mean and downright unfair sometimes, he would never join Voldemort, and if he had then the Headmaster would have found out and sacked him."

"What did he say after that?" Ron asked, eyes wide with amazement.

"He muttered something about misplaced Gryffindor loyalty and said that I was far too naïve; a situation that would be remedied soon enough," she answered and a shiver ran through her body as she realized that he had been referring to whatever awaited her later that evening.  "He also took perverse pleasure in telling me that Professor Snape seemed to have every intention of delivering us after all, a fact which apparently surprised him, and that by taking us first, the Professor would be unable to follow through with his orders and therefore would end up dead. After that he hit me with a _Stunning_ spell and the next thing I remember was waking up here."

"Well, at least we know why we were taken, but that still leaves us with the question of who took us and how they gained access to Hogwarts," Ron mused thoughtfully, his mind busily trying to fit the pieces of the elusive puzzle together. 

"Ron, I'm certain that the Death Eater that asked me all of those questions about Professor Snape was Lucius Malfoy."

"What makes you say that?"

"I recognize that cane and I'm almost positive that I recognized his voice," she replied quietly.  "There's something else too. I think that the Death Eaters we encountered at the school were students."

"Well, it would certainly be like Malfoy to do something like this but students kidnapping other students? Don't you think that Dumbledore would have known if any of the students were Death Eaters and made sure that they were expelled?"

"Maybe he doesn't know," Hermione stated, thinking out loud.  "Or maybe he does know and thought that it would be safer to keep them close by so that he could keep an eye on them."

"That's why they risked wearing their robes then," Ron said as some of the pieces of the puzzle finally began to fall into place.  "They didn't want anyone to recognize them because they still need to attend classes.  They probably delivered us here and then returned to Hogwarts.  With everyone being in Hogsmeade, no one would question if they weren't around the castle for a little while because everyone would just assume they went into town."

"Exactly," Hermione answered.  "Either way, it sounds like Malfoy had us brought here without Voldemort's knowledge and I think that when Professor Snape fails to show up with us that he will use that to his advantage to ingratiate himself further into Voldemort's good graces."

"But he's already a Death Eater," Ron protested, "how could he ingratiate himself further? He's already sworn allegiance to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Because he will accomplish what the Professor failed to do and therefore come off as a loyal Death Eater who was willing to risk his own neck to carry out Voldemort's orders."

"In other words, he's sucking up," Ron declared with more than a touch of loathing in his voice.  

"Exactly." 

"I never thought that I'd hear myself say this but we need to get out of here so that we can help Snape," Ron told her, getting to his feet and putting his hand out to help her off of the floor.  

"Yes, but how?" she questioned, nervously looking around as if fearing that someone might sense their intentions and come barging in at any moment.  

"We need to return to Hogwarts fast so that Snape can bring us to the Dark Lord," Ron said, his mind running through various strategies.  "If he shows up with us then he'll be safe because he'll have proven himself to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named by carrying out his orders.  He also needs to know that Malfoy's out to get him so that he can watch his back. We can still make the original plan work and we'll have thwarted Malfoy's plans, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes, but how are we going to get out of here?" she asked.  "Even if Dumbledore uses the _Perattrahere_ spell, it will only get you out of here. Although, at least one of us would be able to let the Professor and the Headmaster know what's going on and if Professor Snape shows up with you and Malfoy shows up with me then maybe the Professor can use that to his advantage and discredit Malfoy by proving that he was working against Snape by not allowing him to carry out Voldemort's orders."

"It's a nice thought, Hermione, but there is no way that I'm leaving without you. That's why we're going to use that wand of yours to open that door over there and walk out," he declared, his voice determined.

"That sounds a little too easy," she murmured, knowing that even though Lucius Malfoy was an egotistical bigoted excuse of a Wizard, he was anything but stupid.   "Malfoy will have wards on this place at the very least and most likely Death Eaters positioned right outside.  Not to mention the small fact that even if this were my regular wand, I'm not certain that I could take on fully-fledged Death Eaters.  Remember our fifth year and what happened at the Ministry?"

"Yes, I remember and I know that you were hit with that really awful hex," he answered softly, knowing that the event was still a sore spot for the young witch.  "But you've learned even more since then and we have to try.  If Snape is killed then the Order will suffer. Besides, there's no way I'll just sit here and wait until Dumbledore uses that spell. I'm not going to leave you here on your own and I'm not going to let them hurt you."

She looked at her friend and once again chewed nervously on her lower lip, willing the tears of heartfelt gratitude not to fall.  Ron might be a little slow on the uptake sometimes but she could not have asked for a better friend and she thanked the higher powers for bringing him into her life.  With a quick smile, she nodded her agreement and began reaching for the wand that was still hidden in the seam of her skirt.  Her fingers had just found the tiny slit in the fabric when the door opened and the candlelight from the room beyond filtered in to reveal the forms of two masked Death Eaters.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

The shrill laughter of Pansy's laugh made Draco stop abruptly and quietly pull back into the recess of the stone stairway that stretched between the Slytherin boy's dormitory and the Common Room.  He had seen the couple leave for Hogsmeade that morning and had decided to return early to do a little snooping amongst their personal effects as he was convinced that the recently initiated Death Eaters were up to something.  

He hadn't expected them to have already returned since the students weren't required to return to the school for another two hours.  Deciding that eavesdropping might be useful, he remained hidden just inside the stairwell but still close enough to where he could overhear their conversation.  Not that they were even attempting to keep their voices down, as they seemed to assume that everyone else was in Hogsmeade.  He shook his head in distaste wondering yet again why they didn't use what little brains they had been born with and cast a _Silencing_ spell so that anyone walking by, like himself, couldn't overhear their conversation.  He focused his attention entirely on their conversation when he heard them make mention of Weasley and Granger's names. 

"Did you see their expressions?" Pansy laughed and the lower baritone of Blaise's laughter could now be heard as well.  "Granger's especially.  I would be surprised if it wasn't the first time that the prissy little Mudblood was completely at a loss for words.  I'd just love to know what she was thinking when she saw us standing there, wands drawn and fully robed in our Death Eater outfits."

"Well, she may not have said a lot but she sure called for Snape quickly enough," Blaise replied, grimacing at the narrow escape from detection by their Head of House.  "You said he saw you when you used the Portkey to get Granger out of there?"

_'Portkey? Get Granger out of there? Death Eater Robes?  Bloody Hell!'_ Draco thought as a sense of panic began to overcome him.  _'What have those Slytherin twits done this time?'      _

"Yes, he had just reached the doorway when I activated the Portkey. Don't worry though, he has no idea it was me because my hood was up and my mask was firmly in place," she assured him when she saw the frown that crossed his face.  

"Good because I don't want to have to deal with an irate Snape," Blaise said with a little more vehemence than Draco would have expected.  "Especially if he were to find out that we were acting on Lucius' orders and not the Dark Lord's.  No one has ever said anything specific but I get the feeling that there's no love lost between Snape and Lucius."

_'You've got that right,'_ Draco thought with a smirk as he continued to listen to the unsuspecting students.   

"I still don't think that you should have taken her bracelet though," Blaise commented, pointing to the pewter bracelet with the deep red stone.  

"Why not?" she questioned defiantly.  "It's pretty and I liked it.  Besides, after tonight, Granger won't exactly be in any position to ask for it back, will she?"

"Considering that she and Weasley will be dead by the end of the evening I'd have to agree," her partner in crime replied with a small laugh.  "Still, if anyone sees you wearing her jewelry, Pansy, it could cause people to ask questions and that is something that we don't need."

"I'm keeping my souvenir, Blaise,' Pansy told him in a voice that would accept nothing short of consent.  'If anyone says anything then I'll just say that I found it in the Potions classroom and that I had no idea it had belonged to her.  Seeing that she _'disappeared'_ from there, people will just assume that it came off in the struggle before she was abducted."     

"Just be careful about it. I have no intention of winding up in Azkaban because you wanted a memento of today's activities. I wonder why Lucius was so insistent that we bring Granger and Weasley to him today?" Blaise asked, perplexed.  "You would have thought that he would rather have us nab Potter rather than those two."

"Well, they are Potter's best friends."

"True, but something just isn't adding up," he answered thoughtfully, causing her to smile when she saw the frown lines that marred his forehead.  It was a sure indication that he was diligently searching for an answer to his question. "He could have asked for Potter's girlfriend as well or instead of those two we grabbed, but he didn't." 

"You know what?" she asked, not waiting for a response.  "I think that we did exactly what we were asked to do and we did it brilliantly.  Granger and Weasley will be out of our hair after tonight and Granger will exit this world with more of an education than she ever imagined, which is fitting since she's always got her nose in a book in an effort to learn something or other."

"I don't think that she was looking for the type of education that she'll receive at the hands of the other Death Eaters attending tonight's Revel," Blaise answered in a very dry tone of voice.  

"Which makes it even better. Our part is finished and we can move on to other pleasurable things," she purred suggestively. "Lucius said that he would take them from that rundown servants cabin and bring them to the _'festivities'_.  I just wish I could be there to see Snape's face when he realizes that they were taken from his classroom right under that over-sized nose of his so that they could be tagged as the opening number for tonight's Revel. Considering that Granger has been a royal pain in his arse all these years with her infernal questions, he might even thank us."

"I would rather go without the recognition in this case," Blaise said firmly.

"Spoilsport," she laughed and drew her body next to his eliciting an immediate response from his own body.  "I can think of another type of recognition you know."

He sighed as she began nibbling his ear and running her hands up and down the insides of his thighs.  Grinning wickedly, he flipped her over to where she was lying on her back and positioned himself so that he was stretched above her, pinioning her to the bed and denying all possibility of escape.  

He need not have worried though as escape was the last thing on Pansy's mind and as he began to run kisses along the length of her neck she sighed with complete abandon relishing the thought of the lovemaking session that was to come.  Yes it had been a good day as far as the Slytherin witch was concerned and she was about to top it off with a delightful ending.  Knowing that her Housemates wouldn't return for another couple of hours, she didn't bother closing the door or drawing the bed curtains.  Instead she smiled and gave herself over to Blaise's ministrations with reckless abandon.  It was the perfect reward for a job well done.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Draco remained in his hiding place and allowed his thoughts to run free for a moment.  He knew that he would hear nothing more from the couple other than the breathy moans and gasps as they pleasured one another.  Contrary to what people might think of him, listening to such shenanigans held little interest for him and he turned his thoughts to the conversation he had just overheard.

They had taken Granger and Weasley to his father who in turn would present them to the Dark Lord.  But why?  Why do that when Snape could have done that very same thing himself?  He was, after all, in the perfect position to do so.  And why would the Dark Lord authorize Blaise and Pansy to appear in Death Eater robes in the school knowing that their chances of getting caught were above average?  It just didn't make any sense.  To top it all off, the idiots had done all of this in Snape's own classroom right under his nose.  He sighed, realizing that his suspicions had been correct and that something had been going on.  It also explained why Draco had seen Snape practically running toward the Headmaster's office with an expression on his face that was a mixture of panic and abject fury when he returned from his visit to Hogsmeade.

His thoughts were diverted momentarily by a more physical concern and he rolled up his sleeve to stare long and hard at the mark on his arm. It was beginning to burn ever so slightly, which was Voldemort's oh so polite way of telling him to prepare for an upcoming meeting.  His facial muscles twitched at the description knowing all too well that the word _'meeting'_ was merely a polite way of saying _'Dark Revel'_.  

_'They might as well call it a torture session and get on with it,'_ he thought irritably, scratching at the nagging Mark and rolling down his sleeve to hide the offensive insignia of slavery. At this point he didn't know whether he should be angrier at his father for ultimately trapping him into servitude to a demented monster; with Snape, who sensed both his indignity and his intrinsic cowardice at what might be a short and bleak future with the Dark Lord and offered him a chance to _'do the right thing'_; or the clueless Gryffindors for getting themselves into yet another potentially fatal disaster.  At least it wasn't Potter this time, but the fact that he was going to have to put his neck on the line to help the Weasel and the Mudblood galled him to no end. He sighed yet again as the Mark continued to burn and irritate the pale flesh that lay scarred underneath.       

It wasn't that he cared so much about the Weasel, the Mudblood or any of the other hapless victims that would be the honored guests for the evening's festivities.  To his way of thinking, so long as he didn't personally know any of them then his conscience could remain relatively clear. Hence the whole problem with his Housemates plans for the hapless Gryffindors. He actually knew them and although there was no love lost between Draco and Potter's sidekicks, he didn't want to see them end up like that.

In addition to that small annoying fact was the knowledge that it all lacked any sense of style. Yes, that was it.  The Dark Lord, for all his ramblings, was nothing more than an oversized bully that could use some serious time with a public relations person.  In Draco's mind, if his own father had played his cards right, Voldemort would have found a way to pull not only the overly zealous, power hungry Wizards to his cause, but also the unsuspecting Witches and Wizards that bowed down to popular opinion and didn't mind being lead by the nose and told what to do.  If it could work for all of those silly Wizarding magazines, which had pathetic Witches enthralled by the thousands and hanging on every ridiculous word they printed, then it certainly would have worked for the Dark Lord.  And who knew?  Perhaps instead of killing so many people, Voldemort could have possibly recruited them to his side and gained even more strength from the sheer number of followers that he would have been certain to amass.   

Yes, had the Dark Lord and the patriarch of the Malfoy family played their cards right then Draco reasoned that he would have gone along with whatever schemes they might have devised as such a thing would have suited his own personal preferences infinitely better than all of the bloodshed, Unforgivables and torture that had become the preferred method of business.  Things he could easily find himself falling prey to if he made so much as one wrong step with the reptilian slug that had stepped forward and dubbed himself the Emperor of the Dark.  

It was things such as this that had turned him, with extreme reluctance and a serious bout of kicking and screaming (if Malfoy's did such a thing and if said temper tantrum wouldn't have attracted unwanted attention), to the side of the Light and placed him directly at Albus Dumbledore's beck and call.  In a way he had traded one Master for another but at least while serving the Headmaster he was assured of not having to be taught _'lessons'_ at the hands of maniacs for any mistakes he might make.  And it wouldn't make a difference whether or not those mistakes were real or imaginary, as the Dark Lord would still make certain that he paid a steep price. Oh how he wished those idiots back home had played their cards right!  But no, they continued to take the crass approach to anything and everything, forcing him to accept Snape's offer and change loyalties so that he now spent his days skulking around the castle spying on his Housemates. It was a sad plight indeed and certainly not a fitting occupation for a Malfoy.   

_'You can attract more bees with honey…'_ Draco thought with a wry grin, having heard some similar sentiment from one of the Muggle-born students a few years ago. He hadn't understood such sentiment at the time but he was beginning to get a clearer picture as to its true meaning with every passing day. Yes, it was one time when the Dark Lord would have done well to take a lesson from the Muggle saying.  Ruling by fear was effective but only for so long. 

Pulling himself away from his musings, he buttoned the cuff on his sleeve and looked around.  The Mark still stung and he knew that by the time he was called for the meeting that it would become a full, outright burn until he answered the summons from his _'Master.'_  Another grimace crossed his face as he thought of the title that the Dark Lord insisted his followers address him by and his memories traveled back to a time several months ago when he himself had been ordered to do the same as the symbol was burned onto his flesh, marking him as the Dark Lord's personal property for all time.   

Yes, while most of the other Hogwart's students had gone home for the Christmas holidays and opened up their newly purchased shining broomsticks and boxes of exploding firecrackers, Draco had been gifted with his own personalized invitation to Hell in the form of the Dark Mark, courtesy of both his father and the Dark Lord.  The worst part of it all was that his father had been truly pleased and had actually stood before him after the initiation ceremony with a typically self-satisfied Malfoy smirk and had had the unmitigated gall to ask him if he was pleased with his gift?  Of course, the query had been phrased as a question, but it had been delivered in such a manner that Draco knew the only correct answer was to nod politely and bite back the swear words and hexes that were begging to be chanted back at the smug face in front of him.

Yes, it had definitely been a Christmas to be remembered and in case he ever thought of forgetting, his own personal copy of the Dark Mark would see to it that he did not.  It was a dangerous game, walking the line between good and evil, and once again he wondered how Snape had managed it for so many years without going mad.  Of course, considering his attitude in the classroom…  well, maybe he had in a small way.  Still, as long as the targets of Snape's ire and frustration were Gryffindors then who was he to complain?  

"Nutters," he mumbled under his breath, "why couldn't father have just given me a key to my very own, thoroughly stocked vault at Gringotts instead?"

And with that thought, he quietly retreated back down the stairs and exited the Slytherin Common Room.  It was imperative that he speak with the Headmaster as quickly as possible if there was to be any hope of changing the events that Blaise and Pansy had set into motion by their actions that afternoon.  Time was of the essence and some sixth sense told him that it was quickly running out for all of them. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC   

Author's Note:  As always, thanks to OzRatbag2 for taking the time to beta!  It has been brought to my attention that FF.Net was having problems with the review functions at the time I posted the last chapter and some of the reviews may not have been lost (and here I was thinking for 2 days after I posted that no one liked the chapter!).  For those that did manage to get a review through, I enjoyed reading your comments and hopefully this chapter managed to meet your expectations. As I've stated previously, this will be a long story so don't be surprised if this particular part of the story takes several chapters to tell.  I've already started writing the next chapter (It's at 3000 words and still going) but it will take me a little while to finish it and have it betaed.   

Deb:  I think that I misunderstood your question previously re: the wands.  Ron and Hermione couldn't give Snape the new wands and keep their old wands as he would have noticed the deception after having observed their wands in class during the last seven years.  (Hope that helps and that I answered the question correctly this time!  (grin)  )  

Comments are always welcome.

Until next time,

~Jules   


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer:  Umm… no… they still aren't mine. Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  All else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Fifteen~

Severus Snape stormed through the corridors of Hogwarts snarling at the few students he encountered along his way.  The fact that their frightened looks and hasty retreats seemingly failed to provide him with any pleasure whatsoever was more than enough to alert Minerva McGonagall, who had been exiting her classroom after a four hour marathon of marking papers, to the fact that something was seriously wrong.  

"Severus?" She questioned, hurrying to catch up with the Potions Master as he continued his trek without so much as slowing down.  While she had witnessed the man's many moods over the years, she had never seen his face carry such a haggard look full of anger, worry, and… was that defeat that she possibly saw flickering in his eyes? A knot of concern settled in the pit of her stomach as a result and she prayed to Merlin that she had misread the situation.  

"Not now, Minerva.  I must speak with Albus immediately," he bit out, thankful that his attempt to temper his tone of voice had resulted in a response that could at least be considered civil, even if it was only marginally so. 

Knowing that whatever had happened to put her colleague in such a state must be serious, she quietly nodded her head in a gesture of unspoken acceptance and bade him goodbye, watching his disappearing form worriedly as he continued alone towards his imminent meeting with the Headmaster.  She had no doubt that she would soon hear about whatever had happened from Albus later that evening and for now she was content to wait.  She only hoped that it wasn't too serious and that it didn't involve, yet again, the most famous of her Gryffindor charges. Dumbledore himself had appraised her of the upcoming mission earlier that morning and she shuddered as she recalled the scene that had taken place in his office when he informed her of his intentions to allow Severus to deliver Ron and Hermione to the Dark Lord.  Her astonishment and anger had been so complete that for a moment she had wondered if the strong silencing wards that the Headmaster kept in place around his office were going to be enough to contain the harshly shouted words that she had given vent to.  

No, she did not agree with his decision in this particular instance and she seriously doubted that Severus had either, despite his well-known dislike for the students in question.  Judging by the look on the Potions Master's face a few moments ago, she would be willing to bet her very best Scottish robes that something had gone seriously wrong.  She only hoped that Severus would be able to salvage the situation before her House found itself permanently short of two seventh year Gryffindors.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

Harry had meandered through Hogsmeade allowing himself to be pulled in and out of several of the more prominent shops by his excited girlfriend.  He smiled indulgently as she showed him a dress robe that was displayed in the over-sized window of Madam Malkin's Hogsmeade shop and tugged on his hand to pull him inside.  Grimacing as he eyed the racks loaded with women's clothing, he bit back a sigh and quietly groaned when Susan started chatting about one dress robe in particular.  Giving her a smile and a nod, Harry allowed his mind to wander back to the ordeal that awaited Ron and Hermione and mentally kicked himself yet again for not coming up with a better plan of protection.  He didn't fully trust the new wands they had managed to obtain and he still didn't know if Snape had discovered them or not.  The corners of his mouth turned downward as he thought about the disagreeable man.  It was his intense concentration over Snape's part in the plan that ultimately led him into trouble with Susan as he finally looked over to see her standing expectantly, one hand firmly planted on her hip, staring at him with a look of mild displeasure.   

"Harry, if you didn't want to come in here then why did you tell me that it was okay?" Susan asked and the Boy-Who-Lived could hear the exasperation in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Susan. I was just thinking about something," he apologized, grimacing as he realized the explanation sounded lame even to his own ears.  "What did you ask me?"

"I asked if you thought this dress would be appropriate for the Leaving party and if you preferred the emerald green color or the sapphire blue?" she told him, holding up two different colored versions of the same dress robe.  

"Um, the blue one I think," he offered with a sheepish smile.  "I guess I'm a pretty bad boyfriend when it comes to this whole shopping thing."

Susan looked at him for a moment as if gauging the accuracy of his statement before slowly shaking her head and returning the green dress robe to its rack.  Turning her undivided attention toward the embarrassed young man, she smiled and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"It doesn't make you a bad boyfriend, Harry, merely a preoccupied one," she replied gently.  "You've been like this all afternoon and it hasn't mattered which shop we were in. You were even like this when we were looking at Quidditch supplies and that's not at all like you.  It's as if your body is here with me but your mind is somewhere else.  Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry looked at the young Witch and a feeling of warmth stole over him as if he had just covered himself with the warmest of blankets.  Where most girls would have ranted and raved about his lack of attention…or worse, not even noticed, Susan merely took it all in stride until she felt that things had been allowed to go on for long enough.  She didn't raise her voice, break into tears or walk away in a huff as he had heard was the norm for several of the girls that the other Gryffindor boys were dating.  No, she calmly put her would-be purchases back on the rack and steered him out of the shop to discuss the situation away from prying eyes and ears.  He didn't know what he had done to merit such an understanding girlfriend but he was truly grateful. If only he didn't have Voldemort and that blasted prophecy hanging over his head, he'd head straight to the nearest jeweler's and pick out an engagement ring to show her how deeply his feelings truly ran. He gave an inaudible sigh as he reminded himself that such a thing was simply not possible as the Dark Lord would not hesitate to go after anyone he cared about.  After all, wasn't that the reason that Ron and Hermione were in the situation they currently found themselves facing? Knowing that his girlfriend was patiently waiting for an answer, he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.        

"I can't talk about it, Susan, at least not right now," he told her softly in a tone of voice that sounded almost apologetic in nature.  "It's not that I don't want to but it's just that I can't."

"Which means that it has something to do with the Order," she guessed, eyeing him shrewdly.  "Given the way you all were acting earlier today and throughout this past week, I would say that it also involves Ron and Hermione."

The look of stunned amazement reflected in her boyfriend's eyes was more than enough to tell her that she was correct in her assumptions and the red haired young Witch gave a heartfelt sigh knowing that whatever was happening back at the castle must be serious.  

"I can tell by the look on your face that I'm at least partially right," she said with a sad smile.  "And it's obvious that your mind is going to be focused on whatever is happening with them no matter where we go or what we do so we might as well go back to Hogwarts and you can check in with them and see how things are going.  At least then you might feel a little better."

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked hesitantly and she nearly laughed when she saw the hopeful expression clearly displayed in his green eyes.  He reminded her of a small child hoping to receive his Christmas presents a day early. 

Shaking her head to affirm that she truly didn't mind, the Hufflepuff grabbed his arm and began walking down the main street of Hogsmeade.  "The only thing I ask is that we stop at Honeydukes first and pick up those Chocolate Frogs that Ron asked for because we'll never hear the end of it if we come back empty handed!"

Harry laughingly agreed and they both made their way toward the sweets shop to retrieve their friend's favorite sugary confection.  He couldn't help but wonder a little while later as he paid the Wizard behind the counter for the Frogs and various other sweets how Ron and Hermione were fairing in their plan with Snape. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

Ron had been correct when he told Hermione that Snape must have figured out what had happened and as a result it was a furious Potions Master that barged into the Headmaster's office without so much as the usual polite greeting.  

"They're gone, Albus," he snarled and began pacing back and forth in front of the oversized desk.  "They were taken from my own classroom right in front of my eyes and I would be willing to bet that Lucius was the mastermind behind the entire scenario."

"Calm down, Severus," Dumbledore admonished as he stood and faced the upset Wizard.  The twinkle had immediately died as he listened to the Potions Master's words and he harbored no doubts as to the identity of the people Severus was referring to. 

"What do you mean that they are gone?" he asked.

"Granger and Weasley," he spat and directed his dark gaze at the Headmaster.  "Two Death Eaters entered the classroom and abducted them by Portkey.  I was too late to stop them."

"Where were you during this unexpected interlude?"

"I was in my office retrieving the Portkeys that they would need to use in order to escape the Dark Revel and return to Grimmauld Place later this evening," Snape replied, unwilling to inform Dumbledore that he had really planned on retrieving two Pensieves because he had decided against the _Obliviate_.  "I heard Miss Granger call out and rushed back into the classroom just as one of the Death Eaters activated a Portkey and vanished with her.  Weasley had already been taken."

"So you are only assuming that there were two Death Eaters?" Albus questioned, a frown marring his bearded face.  "It is possible that there could have been more."

"Yes it is possible but it is not likely," the Potions Master conceded reluctantly, dropping into the nearest seat and placing his head in his hands.  "The risk of placing two Death Eaters on Hogwarts grounds would be high enough and I don't think that they were looking to attract attention.  They obviously managed to obtain what they wanted as there hasn't been any sign of them since."

"This is most distressing," Dumbledore muttered, knowing that without Ron and Hermione that there would be no way Severus could prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord.  "Did you perform a tracing spell?"

"Of course, but there was not enough of a magical signature for me to be able to track," Snape replied bitingly.  

"Which means that someone took the time to plan for such an action," the Headmaster mused thoughtfully.  "Why do you think that Lucius was behind this?"

"Because he is the only one of Voldemort's followers that is brazen enough to attempt to pull off such a plan and he has shown jealousy in the past over my position within the Inner Circle on more than one occasion," the Potions Master replied tiredly.  "He is also quite well versed in the art of creating untraceable Portkeys."

"Do you think that he was one of the Death Eaters on the premises then?" Dumbledore questioned, looking intently at Severus.

"No," Snape answered, knowing in his heart that such was not the case.  "Lucius rarely does his own dirty work.  It is more than likely that the Death Eaters were students acting upon Lucius' orders.  The problem is that there are several suspects and we do not know for certain whom he might have chosen.  Given the fact that it is a Hogsmeade weekend, most of their whereabouts are subject to suspicion and any of them could have returned early to enact such a plan."

"And we cannot round them up and begin asking questions as that will raise unnecessary suspicion," Albus concluded.  

"Exactly."

"Are you certain that this was Lucius' doing and not that of Voldemort himself?" the older Wizard pondered thoughtfully.  "Perhaps he had another reason for sending Lucius after Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger?  Perhaps he thought that you would not follow through with his orders after all?"

"Not likely," Snape commented.  "The Dark Lord assigned this task to me as a means of proving my loyalty and it would be unlike him to change his mind and alter the plan without making some mention of it.  By ordering Lucius to bring them to him rather than allowing me to do so, he fails to prove where my loyalties lie one way or another."

"So it was Lucius then," the Headmaster agreed with a sigh.  "Which means that our students are getting braver in their alliances with the Dark if they are willing to risk their identities."

"Or they are becoming more foolhardy then I had originally imagined," the Potions Master replied with more than a touch of disgust lacing his voice.  "Albus, we need to find them.  It is possible that they are at being held at Malfoy Manor."

"It is also possible that they have been disposed of by now, Severus, which puts an end to your spying for the Order," Dumbledore reminded him.

"Is that all you are concerned with?" Snape asked, silently fuming at the Wizard standing in front of him.  "There are two students out there in the grip of a sadistic lunatic.  For all we know, they may already be dead and if they aren't then rest assured they will be by the end of this evening and all you can think about is that my position within the Inner Circle may have been compromised?"

"That is enough, Severus!" Dumbledore commanded, his voice rising above its customary levels.  "I realize the seriousness of the situation but I have told you before that your position is vital to the Order and that it must be maintained at all costs. I would grieve greatly for the loss of two fine students such as Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, but we must look at the bigger picture or their possible sacrifice will have been in vain."

"They should not have been placed in such a situation as to be a possible sacrifice," Snape snarled and resumed his pacing.  "I am convinced that they are still alive and will not be harmed until this evening.  Lucius is the type to present them to the Dark Lord himself along with a story stating that he had learned that I would not follow through with my orders.  Even if they are being held at Malfoy Manor until it is time for the Revel to begin, we will have a difficult time getting through Lucius' wards.  He is quite paranoid and has protected the Manor with various dark spells. He would know of our approach long before we could ever make it past the first ward."

"What do you suggest?"

"Use the _Perattrahere_ Spell and summon them back," Snape answered immediately.  "If nothing else, it would see them safely returned.  It would also serve to foil Lucius' plans."

"And then there would still be time for you to present them to Voldemort and prove your loyalty," the Headmaster said quietly, the twinkle returning to his eyes. 

Snape didn't fail to notice the twinkle that had reasserted itself in the bright blue eyes of the famed Wizard and he fought hard to fight back the taste of bile at the man's single mindedness.  It was obvious that his ultimate focus was on maintaining Severus' position and it was equally obvious that he would sacrifice almost anything to accomplish such a task.  If he could at least convince the man to use the spell to summon Weasley and Granger back safe and sound, he could try to plead his case to leave the Gryffindors out of the plan.  

Perhaps he could argue his case to the Dark Lord by telling him how he suspected Lucius of trying to ruin his plans by abducting Weasley and Granger. He could then drive home the point how Lucius had failed to think through his own attempt at sabotage as was evidenced by the fact that he had been thwarted by the summoning spell that Dumbledore had placed upon them.  After all, Voldemort did not need to know that Severus knew of the spell and the Potions Master could act just as surprised as everyone else that Dumbledore had thought to do such a thing.  It would also serve to show Lucius in a poor light since not only was he enacting his own plan without the Dark Lord's knowledge, but he had also now alerted the Headmaster to the fact that someone was out to harm Potter's best friends.  It was risky and there was no guarantee that the Dark Lord would buy into such an explanation but it might be worth a try. _'First things first though,'_ he thought sagely, knowing that he had to get the Gryffindors back and ensure that they were still alive and well or any of the infinite possibilities would be worthless.  

It was just as Snape was getting ready to once again demand that Dumbledore use the summoning spell to return Granger and Weasley that they heard a scuffle just outside the office door.  With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore spelled the door open to reveal a very aggravated looking Draco Malfoy.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

Harry had just finished escorting Susan to her dorm and was on his way to the dungeons when a tall figure rounded the corner and collided with him.  The force of the blow was enough to send both Harry and his unknown assailant to the floor and before the Boy-Who-Lived had time to consider his actions he had withdrawn his wand and assumed a defensive position.

"Oh put the bloody thing away, Potter," an aggravated voice groused and Harry was surprised to see the blond head of Draco Malfoy poke out from underneath his mussed up school robes.  

"Malfoy," Harry muttered by way of reply as he continued to grip his wand in case the blond haired boy attempted to hex him.

"Very good, Potter," the Slytherin acknowledged with a slight snarl that might have even made Snape proud, "Perhaps next time you might try watching where you're going."

"You were the one that ran into me, Malfoy, and you know it just as well as I do.  Besides, I thought that you were in Hogsmeade."

"I was but it was boring," he muttered, standing up and smoothing out the newly acquired wrinkles that now adorned his robes.  "What's _your_ excuse for returning early?  Did your girlfriend finally come to her senses and send you back?"

"You wish, Malfoy," Harry bit out as he clasped his wand a little more tightly and tried to recall the many reasons why he shouldn't give his emotions free reign and allow himself to hex the blond git.

"Not even close, Potter," Draco replied smoothly.  Remembering the reason he was hurrying through the corridors in the first place, he brushed past Harry and continued his trek to the Headmaster's office, barely pausing as he called out one last jibe to the dark haired Gryffindor.  "Next time watch where you're going, Scar Face.  Not everyone around here is as forgiving as I am."

Harry considered calling out his own parting comment but seeing that his Slytherin nemesis had already rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, he decided that such antics weren't worth the effort.  Besides, he had more important things to worry about than petty rivalry even if the rival in question was Draco Malfoy.  Sheathing his wand, he continued on his way to the dungeons to check in on Ron and Hermione.  After all, Snape had said that they wouldn't leave the castle until about 4:30 which gave him a few more minutes.  With a quick shake of his head, he increased his pace and arrived at the Potions classroom within record time.

A silence greeted him as he entered the classroom and he looked around warily, sensing that something wasn't right.  Aside from the fact that there was no sign of Ron or Hermione, he felt as if something bad had happened.  Once again he drew his wand and walked purposefully through the classroom, noting that Hermione's worn book bag was sitting on the desk at the front of the class.  A moment later his attention was drawn to the overturned chair at the same desk and the books that had obviously fallen out of Hermione's bag had been carelessly left to lie on the floor.  

"Hermione would never leave her books on the floor," he whispered aloud and the soft strains of his voice echoed back at him from the cold stone-walls of the dungeon room.  Now certain that something unplanned and probably violent had indeed happened to his friends, Harry completed a quick check of the classroom but noticed nothing else out of the ordinary.  Whatever had transpired, he wouldn't find any more clues here.  In addition to his growing suspicions, the obvious absence of not only his friends but also the Potions Master was making him more nervous by the second.  

He ran through the door at the front of the classroom and hurried past Snape's private stores, stopping abruptly as he entered his Professor's office.  The dark black robes that Harry assumed were a part of Snape's Death Eater garb were laid carefully across the desk, although he had to admit that the garment looked like an ordinary wool cloak and he didn't see any sign of the hideous mask that was unique to the Death Eaters.  Perhaps they weren't the robes of a Death Eater after all?  

Dismissing this idea and wondering where the Professor might be, he entered the office and quickly inspected the supply closet at the back of the room.  Again, his search failed to turn up any sign of Ron and Hermione or even Snape himself.  It didn't take an expert in Divination to tell him that something was seriously wrong and if Harry's suspicions were correct then his best friends were in big trouble.  There was just no way that Snape, evil tempered git that he was, would have harmed them himself and the man was obsessed about keeping to a timetable so it was unlikely that they had left earlier than planned.  In addition, Harry's own failure to turn up even the slightest shred of evidence concerning their current whereabouts suggested that perhaps the Potions Master might be in danger as well. 

With a disparaging sigh, Harry exited the dungeons quickly and began his journey to the Headmaster's office.  It was time for some answers and he just hoped that the answers he was seeking hadn't cost him the lives of his two best friends. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Ah, young Mr. Malfoy," the Headmaster greeted the blond Slytherin as he entered the richly decorated office,  "While it's always nice to visit with the students, I regret that now is not the best time for such activities."

It was an obvious dismissal and one that had Draco drawing upon every ounce of will power he possessed just to keep from rolling his eyes at the annoying man who had just risen from his seat presumably with the intention of politely escorting _'young Mr. Malfoy'_ back out the door.  He grimaced thinking once again that if it weren't for Potter and his groupies he wouldn't be here facing a polite eviction at the hands of a man whose senility he had been known to quietly question on more than one occasion throughout his time at Hogwarts.  Knowing that such thoughts were pointless in light of the information he had come to impart, he took a deep breath and forced a smile to his face. If nothing else, Lucius Malfoy had instilled the niceties of polite manners over the years and while Draco could be accused of many things, rudeness to his elders was not one of them.  

"I apologize for stopping by unannounced, Headmaster, but I fear that the reason for my visit is of great importance."

"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked, having remained silent throughout the exchange.  If Draco was insisting on an immediate audience when he could clearly see that Dumbledore was in the middle of a meeting, then the matter must be very urgent.  Or at least the Potions Master hoped it was as otherwise both he and his student would come off as looking foolish in front of the Headmaster.    

"It's about the Mu…  I mean Granger and Weasley," Draco stated, mentally kicking himself for his near slip.  The looks of disapproval on the faces of both his Head of House and the Headmaster only confirmed that his lapse in manners had not gone unnoticed.

"What of them, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore questioned sternly, eyeing the young man sharply behind his half moon spectacles.  

"Is it true that they were abducted from the Potions classroom, sir?" Draco asked, directing his question and his attention to where Snape sat.  He didn't fail to notice the shocked expression that briefly flitted across his House Master's face before the man's customary neutral expression resurfaced and the younger Slytherin found himself to be the focus of an unnerving dark-eyed gaze.

"Why do you ask?" Snape questioned, rising from his own seat to tower over the nervous young man.  "Have you heard something?"

"Yes, Sir," Draco immediately answered, judging from the look on the Potions Master's face that direct answers were going to be his best course of action in this particular situation.  Add to that the fact that he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Granger and the Weasel were running out of time and it was all enough to make Draco come straight to the point rather than toy with the very alert wizards who were staring intently at him.

"I just overheard two of the Slytherin students boasting to one another about how they had dressed up as Death Eaters on my father's orders and Portkeyed Granger and Weasley to an abandoned cabin on the Malfoy property.  From what I could gather, he plans to present them to the Dark Lord at tonight's Revel though they didn't seem to know why."

"It seems that you were right, Severus," Dumbledore murmured softly after listening to Draco's unwitting confirmation of the Potion Master's earlier theories.  "Lucius was indeed behind the abductions."

"As I feared would be the case," the Potions Master replied quietly, pondering this latest piece of information.  "Draco, which students were discussing this matter?"

"Pansy and Blaise," he responded and quickly glanced to the Headmaster when he heard the older Wizard's sharp intake of breath. He paused for a moment wondering if Dumbledore had really believed that there weren't other Death Eaters amongst the student population.  After all, he had been forced into taking the Dark Mark during the Christmas holidays so wouldn't it stand to reason that others might have found themselves in the same situation?  It was times like this that he wished his father had informed him of the identities of any other students, Slytherin or otherwise, who had recently accepted the Dark Mark. Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy had been adamant that such information was strictly on a need-to-know basis and no matter what tactics Draco had attempted, Lucius had maintained his silence on the matter.  

Bringing his thoughts back to the situation at hand, he continued to relay his newly discovered information to the Headmaster and his Head of House.  "They returned early from the Hogsmeade trip, donned their Death Eater robes and kidnapped Granger and Weasley by Portkey.  From what I could tell, they returned to Hogwarts shortly after they delivered Potter's friends to my father."

"Where are Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson now?" Snape demanded, barely holding back the fury that was coursing through his veins and threatening to erupt in the form of two thoroughly hexed Slytherin students.  How dare those fools, members of his own House no less, pull such an addle-minded stunt?  _'If Voldemort continues to induct such incompetents into his ranks then he will no doubt eventually put himself out of business and save the Order a lot of trouble.'  _

"They're in the dormitory, Sir, and I think that they will probably be there for a while if you know what I mean?" he asked, directing a wry grin toward his Head of House.  

It was obvious that Snape either understood Draco's innuendo or he was all too familiar with the ways of these particular Slytherins.  Shaking his head in a stilted manner that suggested he was completely disgusted with the entire situation, he turned and addressed the Headmaster.

"Mr. Malfoy is correct in assuming that Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson will be occupied in the dormitory for a while.  However, they will have to be dealt soon as we cannot risk them following Lucius' orders and attempting to abscond with anymore students."

"I agree, Severus, and they will indeed be _'dealt with'_ just as soon as we have arrived at some sort of resolution to the current matter at hand," Dumbledore assured him before asking Draco if his presence had been noted by either of the students in question. 

"No, I remained hidden on the stairwell," the Slytherin assured the Headmaster and became a little defensive at the Wizard's look of doubt.  "It wasn't as if they were trying to keep their voices lowered and the door to the room was open."

"Did they say anything else of any importance, Draco?" Snape demanded in an attempt to draw his student's attention away from the Headmaster.  The last thing they needed was for their only source of viable information to become defensive and clam up.  He closed his eyes for a split second while rubbing his forehead.  _'Gryffindors…  Albus may be one of the most powerful and respected Wizards of our time but he's still a Gryffindor nonetheless with all of their failings and lack of diplomacy or tact in such delicate situations.'          _

"Not really, other than to say that Granger was going to receive more of an education than she had bargained for," the blond haired man answered with a grimace.  He had seen the type of _'education'_ the more blood thirsty of the Death Eaters liked to dispense and his stomach gave an unexpected lurch.  For all of her annoying habits he had to admit that even Granger didn't deserve what his father had in store for her.  He looked back and forth between the two men who still seemed to be absorbing the information he had just delivered. After several moments of silence had passed, he stood up and began pacing before finally turning to Albus Dumbledore and voicing the one question that had been plaguing him throughout the last several minutes.

"Well… aren't you going to go and rescue them?"

The question was unexpected and served to immediately bring both men back to the present.  It was Snape who answered first as he stared intently at the young man who was watching him with an expression akin to incredulity.

"Of course we are going to _'rescue'_ them, Mr. Malfoy," he snapped at the younger man in an acerbic tone of voice that would have frightened most students and many adults. However, Draco had been around the Potions Master for too many years to take offense, especially when he could hear the underlying note of concern that was running through the deep baritone of his mentor's voice.  

_'Knowing Snape, he's already working on a plan to retrieve those hapless Gryffindors,'_ the blond haired young man thought and nearly smirked when the Potion Master began addressing the Headmaster and unknowingly confirmed the younger Slytherin's thoughts in the process.  

"Headmaster, we know where they are being kept and I am certain that young Draco can brief me on the types of wards that Lucius employs against intruders."

"Even if you manage to make your way undetected past the wards, Severus, there is still the fact that you do not know how many Death Eaters Lucius may have employed to watch over Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley.  For all we know, he may be keeping an eye on them himself to ensure that nothing goes amiss."

"But, Headmaster…" Snape protested, only to be stopped short by Dumbledore's raised hand, indicating that the wizard would tolerate no objections on the matter.  

"It is too dangerous, Severus," the Headmaster stated.  "There is also the fact that Lucius is not a fool and he will soon figure out that someone assisted us not only in determining the location in which Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are being held, but also the inside knowledge required to deactivate the appropriate wards."

"And you think he will realize that Draco has been working against him?" Snape asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.  

"Yes."

"It would make sense as I doubt he would have imparted such information to Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson," the Potions Master remarked thoughtfully. 

The room was suddenly filled with the gasps of both Snape and Draco and their right hands automatically reached to cover their left forearms where the Dark Mark was now burning insistently.

"Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley are running out of time, Albus, if indeed there is any time left to be had," Snape reported, his breathing slightly ragged on account of the pain Voldemort was inflicting upon him through the symbol emblazoned upon his left arm.  "The Dark Mark has been burning steadily and the pain is increasing.  The Dark Lord is warning us that the time to _Apparate_ is drawing near. Use the _Perattrahere_ spell and summon them back now before we lose any chance we might have of guarding the information they carry or of retrieving them alive.  If they are brought before the Dark Lord now while their memories are still intact then there is a very good chance that all will be lost as they know far too much about the Order."

"You did not _Obliviate_ them?" Dumbledore asked sharply, his gaze accusatory as he stared directly at the Potions Master.

"There was not enough time, Headmaster," Snape replied solemnly, returning the Wizard's gaze unflinchingly while at the same time hoping that Dumbledore would take him at his word.  "They were not in the dungeons long enough for me to even hand them the Portkeys before they were abducted from Hogwarts."

"Which means that Voldemort will very possibly learn of your role within the Order," the Headmaster acknowledged with a heartfelt sigh and placing a weathered hand to his forehead as if he were trying to ward off an extremely painful headache.   

"Most likely," Snape agreed, sensing that the older man was just about ready to capitulate and use the _Perattrahere_ spell.  After all, if he did not then the Headmaster chanced risking the very thing he was trying to prevent in the first place: Exposure of Snape's spying activities on behalf of the Order.      

"We cannot allow that," the Headmaster agreed.  "However, if we do not recover Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger in time for you to present them to Voldemort then it won't matter as he will order your execution anyway."

"Wait a minute," Draco interrupted having listened with avid interest to the conversation that had been flowing around him. However, the Headmaster's last statement simply made no sense at all.  "You're going to rescue them from being taken to the Dark Lord so that you can turn around and take them back there yourselves?"

The stunned Slytherin looked back and forth between Snape and Dumbledore in complete amazement.  It was a unique feeling really as very little in life seemed to have the ability to impress, much less amaze, him any longer.  It was a fact of life when being raised in the shadow of someone like Lucius Malfoy and one that Draco had learned to accept over the years.  "You're both completely crazy."

"I assure you that we are nothing of the sort, Mr. Malfoy, though I would not doubt that there may have been times in the past when Professor Snape might have thought otherwise where I am concerned."

_'Times in the past…  try right now!' _Severus thought uncharitably, not feeling one shred of remorse as he mentally maligned his employer. Glancing up, he was greeted with the sight of a smiling Headmaster who was still cackling at his little joke.  It irritated the Potions Master to no end how Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest Wizards of all times, could find time for such nonsense while people's lives were at stake. _'Perhaps Draco is correct in his assertion and we are indeed 'crazy'… or at least one of us is.' _

Realizing that time was of the essence, the Potions Master turned his attention to the young man whom he had come to truly care about throughout the years.  Snape had no doubt that it had been difficult for Draco to turn his back on his father and secretly work against the man that had given him life. The fact that the boy received no acknowledgement of any type by the Wizards and Witches he was now fighting to protect, hadn't helped to convince the young Slytherin that the choice he had finally made had been the right one.  

However, unconvinced though Draco may be, Severus was proud of him for standing behind the deal he had made with the Headmaster and the Potions Master simply wished that the young man's deeds could be publicly acknowledged. Severus knew all too well that the life of a double agent was a one filled with very few benefits.  It was hard, complicated and lonely and Snape hoped that the war would be over soon before Draco became as jaded as he himself had become over the years.  

It was because of this that Snape decided to reveal his orders from the Dark Lord in the hopes that Draco might understand the situation he had unwittingly found himself in the middle of, especially considering the extent to which the boy's father was involved. Severus briefly recapped his orders from Voldemort and their plan to present Ron and Hermione to the Dark Lord and have them escape to Order Headquarters via Portkey as soon as a diversion presented itself.  After worriedly watching the expressions that flitted across the blond Slytherin's face, Snape found himself nearly falling off his chair when Draco looked up at him and nodded his head as if he had finally found the answer to a long asked question.

"Wow… you both really are crazy!"

Maybe it was the absurdity of such a statement or the entire situation in general, but for some unknown reason, the tension that had blanketed the office seemed to lift ever so slightly and the throaty laughter of Albus Dumbledore momentarily caught both Draco and Snape off guard.  Glancing at his student, the Potion's Master's lips twitched ever so slightly causing Draco to discretely nod his head toward the Headmaster before returning his gaze to his Head of House and theatrically rolling both of his pale eyes.

Knowing that the time had finally come for action, Snape looked to the Headmaster expectantly.  "Headmaster, I suggest that we perform the _Perattrahere_ spell immediately.  Otherwise we will not have the opportunity to salvage our original plan and my usefulness as a spy to the Order will be at an end as will be the lives of both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley."

"Very well, Severus," Dumbledore agreed in a tone that softly suggested he was less than pleased.  With a single wave of his wrinkled hand, the Headmaster extinguished the surrounding lights and dimmed the light streaming in through the large stain glass window.  Only the soft glow of one solitary white candle remained on the desktop creating dancing shadows against the darkened walls as the small flame flickered to and fro. 

Reaching into a large drawer located just to his left, Dumbledore retrieved an unusual looking talisman and grasped it in both hands.  Softly caressing the large crystalline stone in its center, he closed his eyes and began to chant softly as the Potions Master and his student looked on as if in a trance; neither one wanting to breathe for fear the sound might break the spell that was being woven around them.  For several minutes the chanting continued, rising in volume as the closed eyes of the Headmaster began to flicker more and more rapidly and his breathing became broken and ragged. It was in the midst of all of this, just as the talisman began to glow with the intensity of a thousand candles, that a very worried Harry Potter entered the office.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  Okay, these long chapters are getting to be a habit but I didn't want to end this chapter without getting to the Perattrahere spell.  As always, I'd like to extend my many thanks to OzRatbag2 for her suggestions and additions.  They really helped to strengthen the chapter.  Also, I would like to thank those of you who left a review and I'm glad to hear that you all seem to like the direction that Draco's character has taken.  While I do not have the story written out in advance, I can say that I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of _'young Mr. Malfoy'_ throughout the story.  

~Jules                  


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Sixteen~

Hermione instinctively took a small step back when she saw the looming presence of the Death Eaters standing underneath the rickety splintered wood of the aged doorway.  Realizing that she couldn't possibly hope to overpower her assailants, who had the distinct advantage of already having their wands drawn and aimed at both Ron and herself, she surreptitiously moved her hand away from the seam in her skirt lest they discover the spare wand.  Although logic dictated that this was not the time to attempt a heroic escape, she still held onto a small shard of hope that a better opportunity would eventually present itself in which she might take her captors by surprise and hex them into oblivion as she and Ron ran for safety.  It was a long shot and not very likely to happen given the preparedness of the Death Eaters thus far, but she refused to let go of hope completely.  

_'Perhaps if they believe us to be truly weak and defenseless then they will grow careless and an opportunity will present itself sooner,'_ she thought, pasting a terrified expression on her face for the benefit of the advancing Death Eaters that were now within inches of the speechless Gryffindors.  Much to her dismay and disgust, she realized that her terrified expression came more from genuine emotion than of any plans to lure the masked thugs into a state of over confidence.  

_'You're a Gryffindor,'_ she chanted angrily to herself, _'What would Harry do in such a situation?'  _Oddly enough though, and possibly even more startling than the situation in which she currently found herself in, the image of dark hair that formed in her mind did not belong to her childhood friend but rather to a dark and brooding man that had spent the last seven years taunting and pushing her to no end.  She audibly gasped as her mind formed a rather clear picture of a frowning Potions Master and she wondered why her psyche would turn from the warm feelings that thoughts of her best friend usually provoked and choose to seek solace in the guise of a man who had given her no reason to trust him.

_'But he has,'_ the nagging voice in the back of her mind mocked, reminding her of the many times in which the Potions Master had intervened on the Dream Team's behalf over the years.  She shifted from one foot to the other in response to her mental wanderings; uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had taken. 

_'And didn't he go against the Headmaster's plan and decide to use the Pensieve rather than an Obliviate?'_ the voice continued, driving its point home in the mind of its reluctant recipient.

The truth of the matter slammed into her conscious mind with the same effect of a bucket of cold water that had been tossed in her face; She actually respected Severus Snape and not just as a Professor and teacher, but as a human being and a formidable Wizard.  Of course she had always respected his intellectual abilities and his obvious mastery of his chosen field of study, but she had never thought about the taciturn man in any other respect even though she had seen the proof of his true character time after time as he performed his duties for the Order of the Phoenix.  The fact that he volunteered for such duties when others would have fled in fear forced her to grudgingly admit that there was more to the man than she and her friends had given him credit for.  How many times had she seen him return to Grimmauld Place the previous summer riddled with the after effects of the Cruciatus?  He certainly hadn't answered the Dark Lord's summons for fun and the scraps of information he had brought back had saved more than one life since Voldemort's resurrection.  Furthermore, she had never heard him whine or complain about his role in the war.  

_'Too many times,'_ her conscience muttered in response to her ponderings, acknowledging for the first time the extent of personal hardships that her dour Professor must have endured for the sake of others.  And hadn't he once again been ready to risk his own life by playing this game with Voldemort and presenting them to the snake like monster that demanded a pledge of loyalty from his long time servant?  

_'He could have just ignored Dumbledore and the Dark Lord and gone into hiding under the Fidelius charm to live out a quieter existence,'_ the nagging voice whispered, taunting her once again with a truth she hadn't faced.  _'He knew that this plan of the Headmaster's was faulty and yet he still was willing to risk his life in the name of the Cause.'_

She was really becoming tired of that nagging voice in her head but honesty prevented her from ignoring the truth behind the words; unspoken though they had been.  

_'It all makes sense now,'_ she mentally whispered, as her eyes grew wide in astonishment.  She had always associated Harry with the emotions of strength and courage when standing up to Voldemort and knew that such an association probably stemmed from her close proximity to the Boy-Who-Lived and the repeated close encounters that he had faced over the years.  However, Harry himself had always claimed that his success was more a case of luck than actual talent and although Hermione felt that her friend was selling himself short in the talent department, she had to acknowledge the fact that Harry's success was not his alone but rather the combined actions of many people working together; people that had not been publicly acknowledged for their contributions though her friend had tried repeatedly to change that fact.

"The Daily Prophet insists on making everyone believe that it was all me," he had proclaimed with disgust time after time as each new story appeared in the newspaper detailing his encounters against the Dark.

"The Wizarding world needs a hero, Harry, and it looks like they've decided that you're it," she had answered him one time and was met with a fervent nod from Ron and a disgruntled look from Harry.  

"Besides, it's a well known fact that stories about 'The Boy-Who-Lived' sell more papers," she had told him.  "You don't expect them to stop now, do you?"

"I can hope, can't I?" he had replied, crestfallen as he looked at a smiling picture of himself standing underneath a bold caption on the front page of the wizard paper.  He had slammed the paper down on the table and left the Great Hall when the picture grinned and started waving to him.  

And now her mind was supplying her with an image that her subconscious had already picked up on:  Severus Snape, despite all of his snarky, ill-tempered ways, was someone she could trust in such a situation.  He wasn't the stereotypical hero that most Witches might think of but he was one nonetheless.  She snickered knowing that the Potions Master would deduct all of Gryffindor's House Points if he ever learned of her current thoughts.   

_'So I need to ask myself what Professor Snape would do in this situation,'_ she thought, as the strong, vice-like grip of the taller Death Eater clasped her upper left arm and roughly pushed her ahead of him toward the doorway.  Fighting back her Gryffindor nature of reigning Hell upon her assailant in the form of a verbal assault, she bit back the string of words that swiftly jumped to mind and concentrated on her previous question.  

_'What would Professor Snape do if he were captured and being held in an unknown location by an unknown enemy?'_ she pondered and squelched the tiny smile that threatened to break across her face as the answer presented itself.

_'He would bide his time, assess the situation, examine his surroundings and study the strengths and weaknesses of his adversaries,'_ she realized, almost kicking herself for not seeing the advantages of such actions sooner.  While Gryffindor heroism was good and handy in many instances, she realized that she and Ron would never survive a direct assault against their captors at this particular moment in time.  The Death Eaters were far too prepared and even though they had little doubts regarding their own superiority, Hermione knew that they expected their captives to make a last ditch effort for freedom.

_'Well, I haven't spent the last seven years surrounded by Slytherins for nothing,'_ she thought, looking around the slightly larger room in which she had been so rudely _'escorted'_ to.  Perhaps she and Ron could gain some valuable information that they could take back to the Headmaster; or rather, that Ron could take back to the Headmaster**,** as she had no doubt that sooner or later the older wizard would be forced to activate the _Perattrahere _spell.  A sad smile lurked behind her eyes as she thought of Ron being whisked back to Hogwarts while she remained a guest of the tall man in the corner that she was now convinced was Lucius Malfoy. At least her friend would be safe and if it was her time to die then she would accept her sentence when the time came.  

_'But you won't accept it quietly,'_ the voice whispered to her agitated mind once again and she fought the urge to grab hold of the extra wand and make a break for freedom.

_'Slytherin tactics,'_ she reminded herself, knowing that getting them both killed would solve nothing at this point in time.  

_'Watch, listen and learn, Miss Granger,'_ a silky baritone voice whispered to her.  A small gasp escaped her lips and she quickly looked around before realizing that the voice that sounded so much like her Potions Master was coming from her mind and not from the man himself. 

_'First my mind conjures up the man's face and then I start hearing his voice.  I must be losing it,'_ she thought sagely, wondering whether or not the Death Eaters had cast some sort of strange spell or slipped her an unknown potion while she had been unconscious.  A quick shake of her head cleared such thoughts and she once again began cataloguing her surroundings though she clinically noted that there was very little that was noteworthy other than the dark robed men in masks and the smaller person shrouded in anonymity behind voluminous black robes in the far corner.  Something about the person seemed oddly familiar but she didn't have the time right now to concentrate upon what that something might be.  

_'Could this be the mysterious stranger that the Professor and the Headmaster had spoken of?'_ she wondered nervously.    

A quick look at the robed Death Eaters stationed throughout the room did nothing to soothe her nerves and she realized if one of the people present had taken her bracelet that they were being careful not to leave it lying around.  She tried to fight back the wave of discouragement that threatened to engulf her as she realized that this particular avenue of escape was firmly out of her grasp.        

Assuming Hermione's unusual silence meant that she had been hurt by the rough treatment of the Death Eater that had entered their cell, Ron lunged toward the robed man in retaliation.  He was within a scant few inches of the minion when he felt his head jerked back as the second Death Eater grabbed the irate young man by a fistful of red hair.  A sharp slap to the face nearly knocked the Gryffindor to his knees and he felt himself being unceremoniously shoved toward the door.  A sudden pain sprinted through his ankle as his foot caught on a jagged piece of the shabby flooring and he bit back a cry of anguish, knowing that his injury would only serve to further amuse their captors. 

"Careful, boy," the shorter of the two Death Eaters snarled and a shudder ran down Ron's spine as he heard the underlying note of hate that garnished the older man's voice.  "We were told to bring you to the Master alive but no one said anything about keeping you in good health."

The young man's face paled although it was barely noticeable in the dimly lit room.  Giving his captors a final, defiant glare, he straightened himself up and followed Hermione into the next room.     

As the Gryffindor students stood in what appeared to be the main living area of a small shack, one of the four Death Eaters stepped forward with slow, deliberate movements.  A black, leather clad finger gently traced the outline of Hermione's jaw and a chuckle escaped his mouth as he saw Ron strain against the Death Eater that was holding him against his will.  

"I am so pleased that the two of you could join our festivities this evening," the man drawled in a well-cultured accent.  Each word was emphasized with a whisper soft touch that belied the malice that Hermione knew lurked behind the man's eyes.  

"After all, I have gone to such trouble to _personally_ deliver your invitations," he continued, his growing anger hidden behind his mask as his newest toy refused to show fear or back her gaze down at either his touch or his words.  Obviously, he was going to have a chance to have more fun with the Mudblood than he had originally thought and her defiance would make her final capitulation all the sweeter as far as he was concerned. 

"You could have saved yourself the trouble, Lucius," she remarked casually, never averting her eyes from his.  "After all, I doubt there is anything at this _party_ that we would really be interested in."   

Hermione could almost feel her heart leap out of her chest but she reminded herself to stay calm and collected despite the obvious danger they were in.  She had seen Professor Snape use cutting words and sarcasm throughout the years to his advantage and she hoped that her unexpected attitude might anger the Death Eater into giving out more information than he might have intended.  He was certainly boastful enough and confident in his own supremacy that he might not see any harm in divulging his plans if only to further scare her about her upcoming fate.

"Oh, but there will be so much that _I _will be interested in," he whispered, placing his body in direct contact with hers and casually leaning over to where his lips rested next to her ear. He delighted in the twisted expression of rage and grief that crossed her companion's face at his actions and toyed with the idea of letting the boy watch his friend's part in the upcoming Revel before dispatching of him in an appropriate manner.  A final, impudent caress of Hermione's body and the man stepped back to wonder at her unexpected attitude.  Defiance but seemingly without fear… it was a delicious concept and one that had his mouth salivating with anticipation.    

He had expected defiance given her Gryffindor nature, but he had not expected the casual attitude she displayed in the face of the threatening situation in which he had deliberately placed her and her traitorous friend, especially given how quick she was to strike back in Flourish and Blotts at the beginning of her second year.  He had barely provoked her and she had immediately retaliated with that silly adage about the _'fear of a name only perpetuating fear of the thing itself'_.  His lip curled ever so slightly as he openly studied her.  Yes, he would break her if not by subtle intimidation then by outright violence but one way or another the Mudblood would learn her place by the time he was through with her.  It was inevitable not only for her but for the rest of the Mudbloods who dared think they had the right to aspire to be more than what nature had chosen to make of them. ****

They were less than nothing.   

"So you have figured out my identity," he parried calmly, removing his mask and ignoring the shocked postures of his fellow cohorts who left their own masks firmly in place.  "I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, given your vaunted intellect."

"It wasn't exactly difficult," she murmured nonchalantly, hoping to further goad him. "Perhaps you should have considered a voice glamour.  After all, it isn't a complicated spell, now is it? Any First Year could accomplish it."

_'Remain calm.  Keep him talking and look for an escape,'_ the voice whispered to her once again.     

She noted the astonished look on Ron's face and the glower that now emanated from Lucius Malfoy.  Perhaps her plan might work provided she didn't anger Malfoy to the point that he killed her on the spot and from the tightening of his lips, she decided that if she were to succeed, or at least stay alive for a little while longer, than she would have to tone her act down just a bit.  

_'This Slytherin cunning game is harder than it looks,'_ she thought, grimacing ever so slightly_.  'Maybe the Professor snaps at us so much because he's worn out by all of these silly games.'_

It was a thought that she didn't have time to ponder as she realized that Malfoy had begun giving orders to the other Death Eaters.  Moments later, each flanked by two Death Eaters while Lucius Malfoy led the way with the unknown figure, Hermione and Ron found themselves escorted out of the shack and roughly guided through the less than manicured land of this particular part of the Malfoy properties.  

They had barely begun their journey when a bright white light appeared without warning; its sheer intensity momentarily blinding those who looked at it.  Seconds later, Hermione and the others gasped as they heard Ronald Weasley unexpectedly cry out and fall face down on the jagged terrain of the land under their feet, clutching his stomach as if in extreme pain. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

Harry Potter entered the office of Albus Dumbledore and gasped at the scene that was playing out before his eyes.  He could feel the immense power that radiated from the Headmaster as the wizard chanted a haunting cadence of words that Harry couldn't even begin to identify.  The light that shone from the crystal of the talisman clutched in his weathered fingers was growing by the second and before The-Boy-Who-Lived could make his way over to the Potions Master to demand an explanation, Dumbledore cried out and fell face down on his desk as the light engulfed both himself and the area immediately surrounding him.

Rushing over to his mentor he was astonished to see the unmoving form of Ron Weasley sprawled across the carpet.  He too was lying face down and Harry noticed how his friend's hands wrapped around his midsection as if he had been in pain before suddenly appearing on the floor of the Headmaster's office.  Turning the young man over ever so gently, he was surprised to see what looked to be a light emanating from the buckle that adorned the leather belt he wore.  

_'That's odd,_' Harry thought as he watched the light slowly fade into nothingness, _'I don't remember him owning a buckle like that.'           _

His attention was momentarily diverted from his friend as he heard the Potions Master tersely order Draco Malfoy to hurry to the infirmary and bring back Madam Pomfrey along with two vials of _Restorative_ potion.  He was even more surprised to see the blond Slytherin immediately comply and nearly choked at the look of concern that rested on the young man's face as he took one last look at the unconscious forms of Albus Dumbledore and Ronald Weasley before grimly exiting the office and carrying out his mission.

"What happened here, Professor?" Harry asked the Potions Master who had withdrawn his wand and was now in the process of muttering several incantations over the unmoving form of the Headmaster.  "Why is Ron here and why are they unconscious?"

Silence was his only answer as the Slytherin now moved to Ron and began uttering the same incantations over the Gryffindor's still form.  

Looking around with trepidation, Harry voiced the next question to pop into his head.  

"Where's Hermione?"      

Having completed his incantations, Snape directed his gaze at the Gryffindor without even bothering to hide his irritation.  

"Mr. Potter, if you would cease with your annoying questions and let me finish my work here then perhaps I would be so inclined as to tell you what has transpired during your absence."

Harry grimaced but remained silent while watching the man glance around the office as if he were looking for something.  Much to his dismay he was soon to discover that Snape was not looking for some_thing_ but rather some_one_:  Someone that wasn't to be found.

"She should be here," the Professor muttered and a feeling of dread began to form in the pit of his stomach.  "Weasley is here so the spell obviously worked but where is Granger?  If she took that trinket off after I expressly told her not to…"

"Where's Hermione?" Harry demanded, having stood by long enough without answers to what he considered to be very important questions.  He could only assume that something had gone wrong in the dungeons and that somehow Ron and Hermione had become separated from Snape despite the fact that they were supposed to attend the meeting with Voldemort together.  He had seen the talisman that Dumbledore had been clutching and after seeing the unfamiliar belt buckle on Ron's person, he quickly added two and two together and came up with the _Perattrahere_ spell.  Apprehension began to take hold of him as his mind reasoned that if Snape were still at Hogwarts and Dumbledore had to use the _Perattrahere _spell earlier than planned…  well, the answer was adding up to disaster and he cursed himself for not insisting that he remain with his friends even if his presence had to be concealed underneath his father's Invisibility Cloak.  What could have possibly happened that had caused this and why was Snape looking for Hermione if she had been with Ron?  By Harry's reasoning, if Dumbledore had cast the summoning spell then both of his friends should have returned at the same time.  Turning to Snape he decided that the time had come to firmly demand some answers and he was in no mood to deal with the man's black moods. As far as Harry was concerned, Snape owed him answers and the stubborn Slytherin was going to start talking right now.

"Shut up, Potter!" Snape nearly shouted as he attempted to figure out what could have gone wrong.  Although he had never cast the _Perattrahere_ spell himself, he knew enough about it to know that Albus had performed the incantation correctly.  Therefore, the only conclusion that made any sense at all was that Granger had removed the bracelet that formed the connection between herself and Dumbledore.  

_'But why would she do such a thing?_' he silently questioned.  The girl was annoying certainly, but she wasn't dim witted despite his words to the contrary throughout the years.  And he had more than stressed the importance of leaving the trinket on her person at all times.  It just didn't make any sense.

_'Unless someone else removed it,'_ a voice whispered inside his mind.  A frown crossed his face as he realized that this was the only option that made any sense given the nature of the girl in question.  Impetuous and annoying though she was, she would not have removed the bracelet without good reason, especially given the fact that Death Eaters had abducted her.  The bracelet would have served as her best, if not only, hope for escaping to safety.  

_'But why would someone take the trinket unless they recognized it for what it was?' _his ever questioning mind continued to fathom the dilemma presented to him.  _'Surely they would have realized that Weasley would have a talisman as well?'  _

_'Unless they didn't know what it was and took it for a different reason,' _the analytical part of his ever-active mind theorized.  

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey who was followed closely by Draco Malfoy and a slightly out of breath Minerva McGonagall.  Upon seeing the unconscious forms of both the Headmaster and one of her prized Gryffindors, the Transfigurations Professor ran across the room to check their condition.

Madam Pomfrey had hurried over to the Headmaster's still form and was currently taking readings with her wand in much the same way that the Potions Master had done earlier. With a rather pointed look towards Harry and Snape, she instantly demanded to know what had happened to cause their current state of unconsciousness.

"He cast the _Perattrahere_ spell," the Potions Master replied stiffly, turning to glare at McGonagall when he heard her gasp of dismay.

"Then that means…" the Transfigurations professor began, only to be interrupted by Snape.

"That something went wrong," he acknowledged tersely.  "Yes."

Not one to miss much of anything, his colleague looked around the room and noticed that one of her Gryffindors was missing.  

"Where's Miss Granger?" she asked, dreading the answer that she could see hidden in the depths of the Potions Master's eyes.  It was obvious that he was upset by the situation and his apparent worry, masked though it was from those who didn't know him well, frightened her as she knew the man was not one to panic in even the most dire of situations.  The fact that Hermione Granger was not there with the rest of her group only furthered her conviction that something had indeed gone terribly wrong.  

"Miss Granger's present whereabouts are still a mystery at this time," Snape replied quietly, his attention returning to the Medi-witch as she poured the vial of _Restorative_ potion down the Headmaster's throat and muttered _Enervate_.  "It is my hope that Mr. Weasley will be able to provide us with additional information on the matter as soon as he is conscious."

"Why weren't they with you in the first place?" Harry demanded, turning to glare at the dark haired man.  "You were supposed to protect them!"

"That will be enough, Potter," Snape thundered, drawing the attention of the entire room's occupants including several of the former Headmasters' who had been looking on with interest from their portraits.  "Two Death Eaters appeared in the dungeons and abducted them by Portkey.  Obviously, the incantation that you so rudely walked in on earlier was the _Perattrahere_ spell.  It would have been the easiest way to recover your friends and still attempt to salvage something worthwhile out of this fiasco.  Unfortunately, Miss Granger did not return as expected."

"Why wouldn't she return with Ron?" the Boy-Who-Lived questioned, trying desperately to restrain his temper.  "Wasn't she given a talisman too?"

"Of course she was, Potter, but for some reason it either didn't work or it was removed," the Potions Master snarled.

"It was removed," a weak voice interrupted the conversation and all eyes turned to see the now reclining form of Ronald Weasley.  "When we woke up from wherever it is the Death Eaters took us, we noticed that they had taken Hermione's bracelet.  We never did get a chance to figure out who took it though."

"Bracelet?" Draco asked, trying to follow the conversation.

"The Headmaster provided both Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger with a talisman so that he could summon them back in the event that our plans went awry," the Head of Slytherin answered.  "Obviously, our plans did indeed go awry but Miss Granger didn't appear in answer to the summons as her bracelet, which was the talisman in disguise, had been removed from her person."

"Pansy," Draco muttered, remembering the conversation he had heard earlier when he was eavesdropping on Pansy and Blaise in the Slytherin dormitory.

"What?" Harry asked, now more confused than ever and desperately worried for his friend.  Leaving her alone in the company of Death Eaters had not been part of the deal and he didn't know whether to blame Snape or Dumbledore for this latest mess. 

"Pansy took a bracelet from Granger in the dungeons as a souvenir of today's events," Draco explained.  "I heard her telling Blaise that she was keeping it and that if anyone asked about it that she would say she had found it in the dungeons."

"But if Pansy is wearing the bracelet then why didn't she appear here in the Headmaster's office when he cast the incantation?" Harry asked, looking to Snape for additional answers.  

"Because the talisman is enchanted to recognize the link between Miss Granger's DNA and the Headmaster's DNA," the Potions Master snapped, understanding what had gone wrong and vowing to strangle Pansy for her intolerable vanity.  "That was the reason for the strands of hair from each of us that were placed in the talismans.  The Headmaster's talisman contained a strand of my own hair as well as strands of both Mr. Weasley's and Miss Granger's hair since he would be the one to cast the spell while each of our talismans only contained a strand of the Headmaster's hair.  That was what established the link.  The incantation activated the connection between the talismans and sent out a burst of magical energy that would identify the DNA and compare it to that of the person who was wearing it.  If the DNA failed to match its predefined target then nothing will have happened other than perhaps a nasty shock to Pansy."

"That's why I felt the pain in my stomach," Ron exclaimed, still sore from the experience. 

"Correct, Mr. Weasley," Snape absently replied.  "That along with the effect of transporting you back to this location.  In that respect the talisman operates in a similar manner to a standard Portkey."

"And that's why Dumbledore cried out just before he passed out," Harry said, finally understanding some of what was happening around him.  "But, Professor Snape, if the Headmaster's talisman contained hairs from all three of you then why didn't you feel any pain or pass out? You are wearing a talisman too."

"Because I was already here," Snape explained, though his patience was running thin as a result of so many questions.  Didn't the boy realize that his friend was still in danger and that the longer they stood here talking about it the more likely it was that she would be harmed?

"The _Perattrahere_ spell requires a large amount of magical energy, Harry," the strained voice of the Headmaster broke into the conversation, having been revived and administered to by the concerned Medi-witch that was still hovering over him like a concerned mother hen.  "The greater the distance between the person to be summoned and the instigator of the summons, the more energy the spell requires.  Evidently, Lucius had taken your friends to a place that was a fair distance away.  Either that or I am getting older and weaker than I thought."

"Mr. Weasley," Snape questioned in a stilted voice, "Were you still at the servant's shack when the Headmaster enacted the _Perattrahere _spell?"

"No, we had just left," Ron replied, rising to a standing position and leaning against the wall for support.  "There were five Death Eaters including Lucius Malfoy and one other person that was hidden underneath a dark cloak.  I can't say who that person was because they remained hidden under the cloak and no one addressed them directly."

"How long had you been walking once you left the shack?" Draco asked with concern.

"Why should he trust you, Malfoy?" Harry spat, angry at hearing of his father's involvement in Ron and Hermione's kidnapping.  

"Because right now, Potter, I'm the only one that knows the exact location where my father took your idiot friends and what wards are surrounding the place," the blond Slytherin replied with a sneer.

Seeing that hostilities were about to break out at any second, Dumbledore took a leap of faith by holding up his hand and ordering everyone to have a seat.  After kindly thanking Madam Pomfrey for her ministrations but firmly dismissing her with orders that she wasn't to repeat any of what she had heard, the Headmaster turned his attention to Harry and Ron.  Dumbledore then calmly explained that Draco had been assisting the Order in keeping an eye on Voldemort for the past several months.  However, it wasn't until he relayed the story of how Draco had overheard Blaise and Pansy discussing his father's plans for Ron and Hermione that the boys calmed down enough to tentatively trust the Slytherin and hesitantly offer their cooperation.  

"They kept us in the shack for a while although we were unconscious so I couldn't really say how long we were there," Ron offered.  "We had only been walking for ten, maybe fifteen, minutes before this bright light appeared around me and I fell to the ground.  The next thing that I remember was waking up here."

"Father is taking them to the Dark Lord," Draco said, turning his attention toward Snape.  "He has anti-apparition wards all around the shack and it's about a twenty minute walk to reach the barrier.  He'll _Apparate_ from there."

"Then it's too late," Ron whispered, feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes as he thought about Hermione being left all alone to face the Death Eaters.  

"No, it's not, Mr. Weasley, although this certainly complicates matters," the Potions Master responded thoughtfully.

"You're not thinking of walking into a Revel full of Death Eaters and carrying her out of there!" Draco exclaimed, knowing instinctively by the look on his Head of House's face that this was exactly what Snape was planning.  "You'll blow your cover and you'll both end up dead."

"Perhaps," was the contemplative man's laconic response.

"It cannot happen, Severus," Dumbledore interjected, hanging his head with despair.  "If you fail to show up with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then Voldemort will determine that you are no longer loyal to his Cause and he will kill you. It might have worked had they both returned but I fear that our previous discussion is now impossible and I refuse to allow two deaths this night if I can avoid it."

"Hermione and I thought about that though and we decided that if she couldn't get back through the Pettra..  the pretta… oh bloody hell!  If we both couldn't get back through that spell thing then Professor Snape could take me to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named instead and claim that Lucius Malfoy set him up," Ron argued looking directly to the Potions Master as if his mere gaze would will the man into accepting this opportunity.

Snape held Ron's gaze for what seemed to be an eternity before replying to his words.  He was astounded that Weasley and Granger had had the foresight to consider a counter plan to the mess they found themselves in and even more surprised to hear the young Gryffindor voluntarily offer himself up as a potential sacrifice on his behalf.  

"Mr. Weasley, while your plan has merit, there are several flaws in it that the Dark Lord would pick up on right away," the Slytherin said regretfully.

"I know we can make this work…" Ron began to argue but was stopped short as the Potions Master continued to speak. 

"First, the Dark Lord will be suspicious if I show up with just one of you while claiming that Lucius was trying to undermine me, especially if I am forced to explain to him the methods we used to retrieve you.  And second, he would not believe that the Headmaster would be fool enough to let you out of his sight once you had been returned to Hogwarts after being abducted from the castle by Death Eaters."

"But…" Ron tried to argue but was stopped yet again by the Headmaster.

"Professor Snape is correct Mr. Weasley," the wizard said tiredly.  "Voldemort would be suspicious and the chances of losing all three of you would rise exponentially."

"Perhaps if I were to attend the Revel and persuade him that Lucius' interference in my plans had alerted you to the danger to Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then I could get close enough to get Miss Granger out of there."

"But how can you do that when Voldemort sets up anti-apparition wards around his meetings?" Harry asked, knowing that the Dark Mark allowed the Death Eaters to _Apparate_ to a pre-designated location of the Dark Lord's choice but additional wards forbade the early departure of his minions before he had determined it was time for them to go.            

"I will utilize a Portkey," Snape replied tersely, anxious to be on his way.  They were wasting time and the longer they waited the more Death Eaters would have arrived in anticipation of the evening's festivities.  

"Couldn't you just get the bracelet from Pansy and slip it to Granger without being noticed?" Draco reasoned.  "Then the Headmaster could summon her back and you could pretend that you didn't know anything about it."

"The spell is too draining and I fear that the Headmaster does not have enough magical reserves remaining to attempt a second summoning so soon after the last one," Professor McGonagall spoke out for the first time since her initial arrival in the office.  "I fear that if he were to attempt such a thing then we might very well lose both him and Miss Granger."

"Professor McGonagall is correct," Dumbledore agreed softly.

"Well we have to do something!" Harry shouted in frustration and began pacing.  "We can't just leave her there."

"Nor can we risk Professor Snape's position, Harry," Dumbledore answered sadly.  "Lucius has truly forced our hand with his unauthorized actions and I fear, as much as it pains me to say this, that Miss Granger will become a casualty of this dreadful war."

"No!" both Ron and Harry shouted and began yelling at the Headmaster.  Even Draco looked shocked after hearing Dumbledore's quietly spoken words and he quickly turned his gaze in question to his Head of House.  

It was at that moment, amidst the shouting and accusations that both Draco and Snape grabbed their arms as the Dark Lord made his demands for their presence known.  No longer was this the simple but irritating burning that they had been experiencing throughout the afternoon but rather an intense pain that seemed to extend to the very core of their being.  

"We are out of time, Albus," the Potions Master stated in a rather matter of fact voice.  "Both Draco and I are being called for what I have no doubt will prove to be a very interesting meeting."

"You cannot go, Severus," Dumbledore stated flatly, his tone of voice suggesting that he would not hear of any arguments to the contrary. 

"I must," Snape simply replied.  "At this point we are already considering my cover to be blown so there is very little to lose and perhaps Miss Granger's life to be gained."

"You will lose your own life in the process, Severus, and I cannot use the _Perattrahere _spell a second time this evening to summon you back to safety," the Headmaster cautioned, knowing that the man standing in front of him was intent on this reckless course of action.

"Possibly, but I still have the Portkey which I always carry and perhaps that will be enough," Snape stated, walking toward the door.  "Draco, go to your room, change into your robes and make your way to the gate where you can Apparate to the Dark Lord.  Say nothing of your knowledge of what has transpired here this day."

"Yes, sir," the blond Slytherin replied quickly and hurried out to answer Voldemort's summons.

"Professor McGonagall," the Headmaster continued issuing orders, "contact Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt and have them come to Hogwarts immediately.  They will need to take Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson into custody so that they can be questioned under Veritaserum and sent to Azkaban where they can cause no further harm to the students under our care."

"But won't they be summoned by the Dark Lord?" Harry questioned.  "Malfoy is so doesn't it make sense that Blaise and Pansy would be too since they're Death Eaters also?"

"Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson are not ranked highly enough to risk exposure by the Headmaster and be called to this particular meeting," Snape responded tersely.  "The only reason that Mr. Malfoy is being summoned is because of his father's connection to the Dark Lord and his placement within the Inner Circle.  The Dark Lord expects Mr. Malfoy to follow in Lucius' footsteps and one day enter the Inner Circle as well."

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore called, "does Miss Granger still have the spare wand with her that you received yesterday?"

All of the occupants in the room looked incredulously toward the Headmaster and then toward Ron as he and Harry looked guiltily at one another.

"Yes, sir," the young man answered quietly.  "She hid it in the seam of her skirt and they hadn't found it when we left the shack."

"How did you know?" Harry asked with astonishment as Snape simply shook his head at the audacity of the Gryffindor trio to once again attempt to take matters into their own hands rather than leave such matters to those with more experience.  He ignored the voice that mockingly reminded him that they Granger was in her present predicament because she had trusted them, the experienced ones, enough to try their farce of a plan in the first place.

"Harry, did you honestly think that I wouldn't be aware of such illegal magical objects?" the Headmaster replied gently.  "The wards around Hogwarts are designed to inform me immediately when any potentially dangerous or illegal magical devices are brought onto school grounds."

"Then why didn't you take them away from us?" Ron wondered, unable to fathom the Headmaster's motives.

"I am not quite as heartless as it would sometimes appear, Mr. Weasley," the older Wizard responded but looked directly at Harry.  "I had hoped that our plan would go off as they say…without a hitch.  However, on the chance that such was not to be the case, I decided that it could not hurt to allow you and Miss Granger that one small modicum of protection."

"You do realize that had the Dark Lord discovered these wands then he would have blamed me?" Snape snapped, tired of fielding games from all sides. 

"I considered it to be a calculated risk as I knew that, had Voldemort taken the time to use Legilimens on you, Severus, he would have seen that you were as much in the dark on this particular issue as he was."

"A calculated risk…" the Potions Master bit out but abruptly stopped speaking while he tried to regain a modicum of rationality.  "Fine, Albus, I will be leaving now lest I find myself in more trouble with the Dark Lord than I am already in."

"Very well," Dumbledore acknowledged, 'but remember, Severus, your first duty is to the Order.  Attempt to convince Voldemort of your sincerity and that your attempts to carry out his orders were thwarted by Lucius.  If you are successful then you will attempt a rescue if, and only if, it will not endanger your position."              

"We will make our way to Grimmauld Place if I am successful," the Potions Master called, ignoring the Headmaster's final words as he swept out of the office with his robes billowing dramatically behind him.  He never heard the quiet but heartfelt 'Good Luck, my friend,' that Dumbledore whispered as he watched his friend exit his office for possibly the last time.  

/^\^/^\^/^\

To say that Lucius Malfoy was in shock as to what he had just witnessed would have been a very big understatement.  One moment he was walking along with both of his prized toys in tow and the next moment a blinding light had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  When the light had dissipated, he was left with only one prize and no explanation as to how the Weasley boy had managed to escape his clutches.  

It was not only a very unpleasant surprise but also a mystery and one that the Malfoy patriarch didn't appreciate in the least.  Someone was going to pay dearly beginning with the Mudblood who seemed to have recovered from her initial shock and was smiling quietly with a look of gleeful satisfaction.  It was an expression that he wouldn't have tolerated from anyone let alone a lowly Mudblood.  

"What has happened here?" he demanded, walking over and grabbing a large handful of Hermione's hair and roughly pulling her head back so that she found herself staring directly into his enraged eyes.  "Where has the boy gone?"

Hermione had immediately realized that Dumbledore must have initiated the _Perattrahere_ spell and while she was both saddened and frightened at the prospect of being left alone to her fate with the lunatic that now held her tightly within his grasp, she was thankful that Ron would not have to face the horrors that the evening would inevitably bring.  Fixing her gaze firmly on Malfoy Sr., she bit back the fear that threatened to strangle her and attempted a nonchalant shrug.  

"How would I know?" she asked in a tone of voice that suggested that Malfoy must have lost what tenuous hold he had on his sanity.  "You saw as much as I did."   

Letting out a strangled cry that spoke fully of the older man's rage, he lifted his other hand high above his own head and brought it down forcefully against the tender skin of her cheek. 

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as a result of the stinging pain despite her inner struggle to remain calm and aloof and she equated the force of the slap as something akin to whiplash.  She doubted that her neck would be fully healed for weeks after receiving such a blow though that nagging voice in the back of her mind mockingly reminded her that she probably wouldn't need to worry about such mundane details, as she most likely wouldn't survive the night.  She tasted the coppery sweetness of her own blood as it ran down her cheek to pool on the edge of her lip and realized that the man's oversized gold ring emblazoned with what looked to be the Malfoy family crest, must have ripped her skin upon impact.  The fact that Ron had escaped and the fact that she still was in possession of the spare wand hidden in the seam of her skirt were the only things keeping her going at this point and she could only hope that she would be able to make use of her one small advantage before it was too late.  

The Death Eater looked as if he were about to say more when he hissed and grabbed his left forearm as if in great pain.  Hermione noticed with no small sense of satisfaction that the other Death Eaters mimicked his mannerisms.  A part of her mind absently noted that the mysterious person in the dark cloak merely stood by and quietly watched the scene as it unfolded.  Obviously, this person had not taken the Dark Mark or, if they had, Voldemort was not summoning them.  

All in all, it was the one and only time she had been thankful to Voldemort as whatever further punishment Lucius Malfoy might have been planning as a result of Ron's disappearance and her lack of information was halted in favor of pushing forward to what she had determined must be the apparition point.  

_'Leave it to Malfoy to be too paranoid to remove the anti-Apparition wards long enough for us to Apparate directly from the shack instead of forcing us to walk all over creation before finally being able to Apparate,'_ she mentally grumbled.  Although, she supposed that in a way such paranoia might serve in her favor as it granted her precious minutes before she would be brought up in front of the Dark Lord.   

It was thoughts of the Dark Lord and the inevitable _interview_ that made her remember the small vials of Mind Strengthening Potion, which were still nestled safely in her pocket.  Having been warned that Voldemort might very well attempt to use Legilimens on her in an effort to learn more about both Professor Snape's and Harry's involvement in the Order, she surreptitiously palmed one of the glass vials and kept it hidden in her hand.  

It wasn't until she heard Lucius Malfoy tell the others that they had nearly reached the apparition point when she pretended to trip over an exposed root on the ground.  Bowing her head as if in pain and out of breath, she allowed her hair to fall about her face in an effort to provide cover for her next action.  It was at that point that she quickly placed the tiny vial to her lips, having already uncapped it within her hand while they had walked, and swiftly downed the contents.  By the time she was roughly hauled back up to her feet, she had once again palmed the vial and let it drop casually and soundlessly to the ground so that it wouldn't be found on her person.  If she had to face Voldemort and the possibility of mind invasion than she was bloody well going to do so with at least a little protection.  She just hoped it would be enough to protect those she cared about.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Professor Snape!" the voice of Harry Potter rang out through the dungeon corridors.

The hurried man turned and audibly groaned as he saw the two boys rushing toward him.  _'Wonderful, just what I do not need right now…Potter and his faithful side kick.'_

"Professor, I want to go with you," Harry said quickly, not giving the Potions Master time to refuse his request.  "I understand why Ron can't go with you but there's no reason that I couldn't go."

"There is every reason that you cannot tag along, Potter," Snape snapped.  "First of all it is far too dangerous and I cannot trust your Gryffindor sense of heroism not to step in and cause more mayhem.  Secondly, you annoy me and quite frankly I have enough to contend with in trying to save your Know-it-All friend without losing my own hide in the process."

"But that's just it," Harry protested, determined not to let the Potions Master's snide words deter him.  "I can Apparate with you under the cover of my Invisibility Cloak and help Hermione.  If I can Portkey us out or get her away from there under the Invisibility Cloak then you won't have to risk further exposure."

"You are assuming that the Dark Lord will buy into the flimsy excuse that is currently my only defense in the first place," Snape snarled and resumed his trek toward his private chambers.  He had to quickly retrieve his Death Eater robes, Apparate blindly and then try to appease a psychotic Master. There was no time left to add any more delusional fantasies to the mess. 

_'Why can't Potter take his childish games somewhere else and let me be?'  _

His gait was halted as Harry grabbed his arm and turned the taller man to face him in a last ditch effort to plead his case.

"You don't understand, Snape," he began and the Potions Master was startled to see the honesty behind his gaze.  "Hermione isn't just my friend…she's my family and next to Ron she's all I have left.  Everyone else has been killed.  I couldn't take it if something were to happen to her and she's in this situation because Voldemort wants to get at me."

For a brief moment the Potions Master's own gaze softened ever so slightly and his voice was devoid of the usual biting sarcasm that he usually used when addressing the disobedient Gryffindor.  

"No, Potter, Miss Granger is in this mess because we are in the middle of a war and she happens to be on the wrong side as far as the Dark Lord is concerned.  She is a Muggle-born Witch and the top of her class.  She would have gained his attention eventually with or without your friendship. If you truly want to help her then get out of my way and let me do what needs to be done."

"But I have to do something," Harry whispered and the pain that he felt at the possibility of losing his best friend was almost tangible as he pleaded with the uncompromising Slytherin. 

"Potter, for once in your life do not be a pawn," Snape growled, his usual acerbic manner back in full force.

"What do you mean?" the young man asked defensively.

"Exactly what I said," the Potions Master replied hurriedly, knowing that if he didn't answer the Dark Lord's summons soon then neither he nor Hermione would stand a chance at pulling through this evening alive.  "If you are to face the Dark Lord and succeed in overcoming him then you are going to need to learn patience.  You will need to learn to control your emotions and be deliberate in your moves against him.  Otherwise you are destined to fail."

"I can do that," Harry protested, only to be cut off by a sharp wave of Snape's hand.  

"Can you really?" he drawled in a silky voice, and moved closer to the young man.  "Can you honestly follow me to this Revel and sit quietly under that cloak of yours, watching and waiting for the correct moment to attack the Dark Lord despite the horrendous acts of barbarism that are being committed against your friend?  Can you honestly tell me that you would maintain your temper for the greater good and sacrifice your friend if it meant defeating the Dark Lord?  Can you honestly tell me that you can sit there quietly and watch her be viciously raped, beaten and tortured by every Death Eater in attendance until she is no longer of any use to them in even the most basic of ways if it meant putting an end to this war once and for all?"

The Potions Master read the expressions of horror, sorrow and disgust that flashed through Harry's eyes like an open book and knew that he was correct in his assessment of the young man's current emotional state.  There was no way that he would allow Potter to accompany him.  The risk of the boy getting himself killed this night was too high despite his previous successes, or bouts of luck as Severus chose to view them, against the Dark Lord.  His emotions were far too involved and that in and of itself was a recipe for disaster.  He did not question the fact that his own emotions were involved enough to dash out on this fool's errand to rescue a Muggle-born Gryffindor when he should be seeking refuge from an irate and merciless Dark Lord.  

"There are others that would disagree with me and say that your anger would help you confront and possibly defeat the Dark Lord this evening, but I am asking you, Potter, to put your own needs aside for once and let someone else more experienced handle this problem.  As much as it pains me to say this, there are those that consider you to be too important to the final battle and you are not yet ready for it.  There is still much for you to learn.  By barging in this night you would most likely bring an end to Hermio…Miss Granger's life as well as your own.  Listen to reason for once and trust me to bring her back."

Harry dropped his hand from the Potion Master's arm and quietly observed him for a long moment.  "If you fail to bring her back, Snape, know that I will not stop until I have your head on a platter."

The former Death Eater stared at the young man who had so quietly issued his warning while at the same time accepting the Potions Master's entreaty for trust.  Snape understood the boy all too well.  Potter was entrusting him with the life of one of the people who meant more to him than anything including his own life.  Severus could hardly say that he would have threatened less had he been the one standing in Potter's shoes.  

As it was, he merely nodded his head before quietly replying, "Potter, I seriously doubt that you will get the chance to carry through on your threat."

"I meant every word I said, Snape," Harry warned with a low growl.

"Of that I have no doubt," Snape replied with a wry smirk.  "But consider this: should I fail to come back with Miss Granger than it will most likely be attributed to the fact that the Dark Lord saw fit to kill me before I was able to accomplish my task."     

And with that parting sentiment, the Potions Master turned and completed his journey to his quarters to prepare for the Dark Lord's summons.  It wasn't until the man had rounded the corner at the end of the corridor that Harry made the surprising connection between the man's words and his actions.

"He nearly called her Hermione," Harry whispered more to himself than to Ron who had remained uncharacteristically silent throughout the entire exchange.  "He never slips and calls anyone by their first name, especially a Gryffindor.  He actually cares about her." It was that very thought that triggered the first inkling of hope he'd felt all evening. 

An astonished look settled on his companion's face as Ron heard the softly whispered words.  He couldn't decide if it was stress that caused his friend to reach such a far-fetched conclusion or if all of the years of dealing with the Dark Lord had finally driven Harry over the edge once and for all.  No matter what was going to happen it was going to be a very long night, and the sooner Ron found something to occupy Harry's mind the better.  _'Perhaps a game of Wizard's Chess would do the trick?'_

"Come on, mate," he told his worried friend.  "Snape's a git but he'll bring her back, you'll see.  He's too bloody mean to fail."

It was a small comfort but a comfort never the less and with a wan smile, Harry allowed Ron to lead him back to the Gryffindor Common Room where they would anxiously await news of the night's events.

Moments later, a dark man garbed in heavy black robes and a hellish mask Apparated to face his Master for what might very well be the final time.  As he approached the snake like figure to pay his respects, he was appalled to see the tall masked form of Lucius Malfoy dragging a young woman roughly behind him.  Seconds later the Death Eater issued a blow to the side of her face and shoved the girl to her knees forcing her to remain in a kneeled position in front of the Dark Lord.  There was no doubt in Snape's mind as he approached the trio that the bushy brown hair of the young woman in question belonged to none other than Hermione Granger.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC 

Author's Note:  Apologies for this chapter taking a little longer than usual however real life in the form of family, illness and a serious case of writer's block decided to interfere.  I'd like to extend my many thanks to those of you who have been following this story and sending me feedback in the form of emails and reviews as well as to OxRatbag2 for taking the time to beta especially since she's had her own share of real life lately.    

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~Jules  


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

Chapter Seventeen

Albus Dumbledore stared vacantly at the far wall of his office from where he sat.  His wrinkled face wore the same expression it had worn for nearly an hour; an expression of worry tinged with what could only be described as heart-felt sorrow. 

A light tapping sound on the heavy wooden door pulled him out of his trance-like state and he watched as Minerva McGonagall treaded cautiously into the office, having noted the somber expression on her long-time friend and colleague's face.

"It's done, Albus," she intoned quietly, referring to the task of alerting the Aurors of Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson's transgressions against two of her beloved Gryffindors. 

"Were there any complications?" the Headmaster asked wearily, removing his spectacles and rubbing his eyes in a manner that suggested he had not slept in days.  

"None other than what might be expected," the Transfiguration Professor replied with a touch of concern.  It was obvious that the _Perattrahere_ spell had drained the old Wizard's energy and it was equally obvious that he would remain steadfast in his refusal to return to his quarters to obtain some much needed rest. 

That didn't stop her from trying though.

"Albus," she began tentatively but with the same tone of voice she reserved for some of her more stubborn and troublesome students, "There is nothing more you can do this evening until we hear from Severus.  The Aurors have taken Miss Parkinson and Mr. Zabini to the Ministry where they will be held until a hearing can be arranged.  At that time, both you and their parents will be required to attend."

"They will administer the Veritaserum?" he asked with more than a touch of trepidation, knowing that the Ministry frowned on using such a restricted substance on minors.  Still, there was no better way to force the truth from these two particular students, as he highly doubted that either Blaise or Pansy would come forward of their own volition and admit to their crimes.  It was a sorry state of affairs indeed when students were pitted against other students in such a manner and all the more reason to stop Tom Riddle with the utmost of haste. 

"Did they say anything of importance, Minerva?" he asked, highly doubting her answer would be positive.

"If you are asking whether or not either one of them admitted to abducting Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then no… they said nothing of importance," she replied with a softly hissed sigh.  "If you're asking if they implicated anyone such as Severus or Draco Malfoy, then no… they did not and I am fairly certain that both men's loyalties still remain carefully guarded at this time."

"So they do not suspect Draco of either spying on them or turning them in," the Headmaster stated in a flat voice and felt a pang of relief sweep through him.  At least one of the Order's inside operatives had a chance of remaining undiscovered.  His attention turned back to the Potions Master and he felt himself frowning at the situation in which the younger man now found himself; a situation that Dumbledore himself had ultimately brought about by trying to play Voldemort's game.  A game in which most people would have claimed the stakes to be far too high but one in which he, as Head of the Order, had agreed to play when he ordered Granger and Weasley to be used as pawns.  Severus had been justified in his anger at being ordered to allow the students to place themselves in danger and even though Albus tried repeatedly to assuage his guilt by reminding himself that the plan was for the good of the Order, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

There were days when he truly hated being Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix.

"You should rest, Albus," McGonagall's voice broke into his reverie.  "It may be some time before Severus returns with Miss Granger."

The Headmaster looked up and noted the concern etched into the woman's features.  She had truly been a treasure to him throughout the years and had things been different then he may have attempted to take their relationship to a more intimate level.  However, being who he was, he knew that to get too close to anyone placed them at significant risk from the likes of Tom Riddle, and others who would not hesitate to use personal feelings against him.  After all, wasn't that what he was attempting to do to Harry through his bid to rob the young man of his two closest friends?  No, Albus would not risk Minerva's life or anyone else's for his own personal gain.  It was bad enough that he was forced to do so for the sake of the Order. 

"I will rest once Severus arrives," he replied tiredly and held his hand up as if attempting to forestall any arguments that Minerva McGonagall might deem necessary.  "I can do no less and I owe him at least that much if not much more."

Neither one felt it prudent to mention the very real possibility that Severus Snape might not be returning home that evening at all. 

"I should probably mention that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are currently attempting to wile away the time in the Gryffindor Common Room under the guise of playing Wizard's Chess although I'm not certain that either one of them are really concentrating on the game itself," McGonagall observed, casting a slight smile at the memory of the boy's antics.  "They will need to be told something as soon as we have any information, otherwise I wouldn't put it past them to come up here and camp on your doorstep."

"You are correct, as usual, Professor McGonagall.  I would not put it past Harry to go after Voldemort on his own should tragedy befall Miss Granger this evening," Dumbledore declared thoughtfully.

"Yes, and Mr. Weasley would be right beside him," the Transfiguration Professor agreed.  "They both care for her very much."

"Which is how it should be, I suppose," Albus agreed with a sigh.  "I must admit that the thought had crossed my mind that if Severus were unable to protect Miss Granger, then Harry's anger might make him strong enough to go up against Tom and defeat him once and for all."

"Miss Granger's death would make him all the more determined but I fear that he would need to be more focused and disciplined with his anger than what he is currently capable of," Minerva replied solemnly.  "Such recklessness could well cost the boy his life, Albus."

"As well as cost the Wizarding World a victory over the Dark," the Headmaster conceded, the sorrow he felt now more tangible than ever.  "There are times when I think that it is I who have turned into the monster, Minerva."     

"It's not your fault, Albus," she quietly assured him, being all too familiar with his expressions throughout the years.  It was obvious from the furrowed white brow and the wrinkled frown that had taken up residence over his facial features that he was once again experience a bout of self-recrimination. 

"No?" he questioned tightly, "If the blame does not lie with me than whom else should it lie with?"

"We are in the midst of a war that is not of our own making.  Losses are to be expected."

"I assumed as a result of your rather loud outburst earlier that you did not approve of my plan to allow Severus to present Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley to Voldemort," he remarked, staring pointedly over the rims of his wire frames at the fidgeting woman.

"Oh, Albus, I do wish you would refrain from using his name!" she muttered in exasperation.  "And no, I do not approve of sending students into the snake's den, but that does not mean that I will not stand behind you.  It simply means that I disagree with some of your methods."

"Thank you, Minerva, for your unfailing support," he answered softly, grateful for her friendship.  "I only wish that others could see and accept things as you seem to do, my dear."

"If you are referring to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley then I wouldn't worry," she answered briskly.  "They are young and in time they will understand that you have made these decisions because they were best for the Wizarding world as a whole."

"Severus is not as young as either Harry or Ron and he does not seem to understand this," Dumbledore remarked sadly. 

"Severus understands better than any of us what needs to be done, Albus," McGonagall responded softly, her eyes tearing up at the thought of what the brooding Professor had gone through during the past several years in order to maintain his position within the Dark Lord's ranks.  "But you must remember that he feels the need to place himself in whatever danger might be required as a means of penance for that which he voluntarily walked into when he was younger.  In his eyes, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley have not made the same unfortunate mistakes that he made so many years ago and to place them in this level of danger goes against all that he believes.  His heart is not has hardened as he would have us all think."

"You are far too wise, Minerva, though assuming that Severus does manage to return to us, I would not mention that you believe him to have a heart," the Headmaster said with a soft chuckle as he imagined the grimace of disdain that would undoubtedly cross the younger man's face.

"And be hexed into oblivion?" she retaliated with a heartfelt sense of mirth, "Never!"

Their much needed round of levity served to raise their spirits ever so slightly.  Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the woman sitting in front of him and gestured to the china teapot that rested on the desk. 

"Would you care for a cup of tea?" he offered.  "I could have the House-Elves send up a fresh pot along with some of those pastries stuffed with that delectable fruit filling.  I believe you would find the lemon filled ones particularly satisfying."

"I'd like that," she answered softly, drawing her seat closer to his desk.  A moment later she began to carefully pour the steaming tea from the brightly colored pot that had been delivered within seconds by the all too efficient House-Elves that resided within the castle walls. 

Despite their discussion, Minerva knew that nothing had really changed. The evening still stretched interminably before them and the danger to Severus and Miss Granger was just as real now as it had been when she entered the office.  However, a small part of her being took comfort in the fact that she could at least offer the worried Wizard, now munching happily on a lemon filled pastry, a little companionship as they awaited the uncertain outcome that fate would hand them.  It wasn't much, but honesty forced her to admit that it was certainly better than worrying alone. 

It was all Hermione could do to keep herself from gagging on the small cloud of dust that had been stirred up as Lucius Malfoy cruelly forced her to kneel before the Dark Lord.  Her head hung low and her face hovered but a few mere inches above the dark, dry dirt of the barren field in which they had Apparated to. 

A decaying stench permeated the air and she bit back the bile that rose in her throat.  The knowledge that such a stench emanated from the reptilian-like creature that sat ominously in front of her did nothing to help allay the almost overwhelming nausea.  Tendrils of fear spread through her body as quickly as fire to dry timber, tugging at her emotions and clouding her mind.  She struggled to maintain her composure but the situation in which she now found herself thrust was unlike anything she could have imagined.  _Why hadn't Harry told her how horrifying Voldemort really was?  _ 

_'I will not cry,'_ she whispered silently, vowing that she would die before allowing the dark creature and his minions to glean even the most minute sense of satisfaction from her fear.  How she would accomplish such a feat when every nerve in her body screamed to do exactly that was beyond her at the moment but somehow… one way or another… accomplish it she would. 

_'Gryffindor courage, Miss Granger,'_ the baritone voice in her mind that sounded so much like the Potions Master whispered yet again, soothing her frightened nerves ever so slightly.  She clung to that voice and forced herself to focus on the more important matters at hand.  She had no doubt that the Dark Lord expected her fear to keep her off-balance.  Not only would it afford him a sadistic type of pleasure, but it would also serve to render her easier to manipulate so that she would tell him whatever it was he wanted to know.  And he did want to know something… of that she was certain.  The only question was whether or not he expected her to comply and bring forth damaging information on Harry or Professor Snape.   

_'Probably both,' _her logical mind whispered as her shoulders slumped ever so slightly in an unconscious gesture that resembled defeat.  Her musings came to an abrupt end though as the Dark Lord chose that particular moment to address her captor.

Severus Snape had cautiously surveyed his surroundings and come to the definite conclusion that his task of rescuing the Granger girl was improbable at best and suicidal at worst.  His natural sense of cynicism seemed predictably more inclined to agree with the latter of his assessments and continued to question his entire purpose in answering Voldemort's summons when he should, by all rights, be cutting his losses and seeking a safe refuge to live out the remainder of his days.  

He mentally sighed and surreptitiously observed the girl that was sprawled inelegantly on the ground at the Dark Lord's feet.  _How had they ever allowed things to get this far?_ It was just as he took the last few steps to assume his customary position of reverence to Voldemort that Snape noticed her shoulders slump and her head hang just the slightest bit closer to the ground.  It was this simple gesture that worried him the most as he knew that whatever else her failings might be, Hermione Granger was not the type of individual to embrace defeat.  She was thoroughly Gryffindor in that respect and it was a character trait that he had been counting heavily on.  No, she could not accept defeat this early into the game or else they would both lose and he knew very well that this time there would be no second chances for either one of them.  

Granted, the Dark Lord was certainly not a thing of beauty.  It was an unarguable fact that after so many potions, dark spells and incantations of magic so old that even Severus was at a loss to understand it all, the man that was once Tom Riddle had become a thing so grotesque and terrifying that many feared him based on his visual countenance alone. But still, despite this fact, the Potions Master would have bet his best cauldron that the girl would not have given up so early into the meeting. 

_'Perhaps a slight hesitation on her part was to be expected though?'_  He reflected thoughtfully. After all, this was the first time she had witnessed the Dark Lord firsthand and though Potter may have told her what to expect, Severus doubted that the description would have served to do justice to the experience itself.  Yes, that was it… the girl was simply in shock.  Feeling slightly mollified by the explanation and determined to hang on to every scrap of hope that he could either find or manufacture, Snape bowed before the snake-like creature and kissed the hem of his robes.  It was a memory he planned to _Obliviate_ from Granger's mind should they survive the night as to pay homage to the soulless creature was, in Snape's opinion, one of the most demeaning and demoralizing ordeals he was forced to endure.  As usual, the nausea welled up inside of him as his lips made contact with the rough fabric of the heavy black robes customarily worn by the Dark Lord. 

"What is the meaning of this, Lucius?" Voldemort questioned as Snape backed away from his odious show of servitude. "This is not what I ordered."

Hearing the small unsteady hitch in his one time friend's breathing, Severus quietly rose and unobtrusively positioned himself to where he stood between Lucius and the young woman that was still kneeling quietly on the ground.  He listened attentively as the blond haired man explained the details surrounding his current possession of the Witch that held the dubious position of being one of Harry Potter's best friends.         

It was obvious to Snape from the way Lucius Malfoy continued to intermittently leer at Hermione throughout the narrative that he would have to act quickly if he were to be successful in spiriting her away to the safety of Grimmauld place. Evidently, Lucius had more in mind for the young woman than merely using her as a means of elevating his standing in the Dark Lord's eyes. For some reason, unbeknownst and not to be dwelled on now or ever as far as Snape was concerned, the thought of what other _'things'_ his fellow Death Eater might have in store for the bushy haired Witch caused his blood to boil.  He shifted his stance ever so slightly in response to the uncomfortable direction of his thoughts telling himself firmly that his anger merely stemmed from the fact that she was too young and innocent to suffer such atrocities.  Know-it-All or not, the girl deserved better… as did all of his students.  

That voice that insisted on residing inside of his head let out a sneering chuckle of disbelief at the contrived explanation that Snape had settled on and he tamped it back down with fervent vigor.  The last thing he needed right now was to waste precious moments dealing with his conscience or to examine his suspect motivations where Hermione Granger was concerned.  He had no idea why her continued survival suddenly seemed to matter to him so much nor was he certain that he wanted to know.  Casting a brief look downwards at the girl next to him, Snape determined that the most obvious answer to his sudden and uncharacteristic wealth of softer feelings was that he had obviously spent too many years around Albus Dumbledore. 

_'If I start thinking kindly toward Potter and his red headed sidekick then I'm quitting and Voldemort and Dumbledore can find themselves another lapdog,'_ he resolutely decided.   With an irritated grimace, he put aside his personal thoughts and returned his attention to the matter at hand:  rescuing the bothersome girl.

However, a quick but careful surveillance of the area afforded him little peace of mind.  Aside from the thicket of trees and the sparse overgrowth off to his left, there wasn't much that could be considered helpful.  The only thing he considered to be in their favor at this time was the fact that the Dark Lord had thus far only summoned the members of the Inner Circle; a fact that was obvious by both the smaller number of Death Eaters currently present and the fact that Voldemort was addressing them by name.  However, past experience told him that it wouldn't be long before the remaining Death Eaters were summoned to meet and enjoy the evening's festivities.  The Potions Master's stomach lurched ever so slightly as his mind replayed images from past revels.  No, he had to find a way to get the annoying young woman away from Lucius and the Dark Lord quickly but right now it was time to convince Voldemort of Lucius' duplicity once and for all.

"So, in essence, what you are telling me, Lucius, is that you took it upon yourself to override my orders?" Voldemort hissed.

"I had it under the best of authority that Severus was planning to countermand your orders and safeguard Potter's friends, My Lord," Malfoy pleaded and bowed his head in a show of respect.  "I only sought to ensure that your orders were carried out as I know how much the destruction of Harry Potter means to you."

"You know NOTHING!" Voldemort hissed, sending a blast of energy from his wand to connect squarely with the man's stomach.  The force of the creature's anger was evident in the blast, knocking Lucius unceremoniously to the ground.

It was all Hermione could do to stem the nervous laughter that threatened to bubble up and break free as she saw the usually aristocratic man roll over and spit out a mouth full of dirt that he had inhaled when he hit the ground. 

_'Serves you right,'_ she thought indignantly, wishing that she had been the one to cast the hex and knock some of the hot air out of Malfoy's over inflated ego.  She smiled as the thought crossed her mind that the older man's ego was probably only surpassed by the number of galleons in his Gringott's account and even then she bet it was a close match.   

"And you, Severus," the Dark Lord murmured quietly, drawing himself up to his full height and standing before Snape, "Is any of what I have heard here this evening true?  Were you planning on betraying me tonight?"

"No, My Lord, I was not," Snape spoke softly and dared a quick raise of his head to stare directly into the Dark Lord's eyes.  He could feel the pull of _Legilimens_ as the creature wormed his way, uninvited, into the crevices of his mind for the answers he sought.  It was an unwelcome feeling but one that the Potions Master had expected and prepared for.

Drawing on his own training and mastery of _Occlumency_, Snape carefully pushed forth his own version of the truth and allowed it to play out in the form of carefully maneuvered feelings and imagery for the Dark Lord.  Visions of assigning Weasley and Granger detention… visions of the two of them dourly entering the dungeons earlier that afternoon to serve their detention… visions of him demanding and taking away their wands… visions of Weasley raggedly recounting his story of Lucius' abduction to Dumbledore minus the bits and pieces of his own involvement… visions of watching as the Headmaster attempted to pull both students back through the use of the _Perattrahere_ spell… anger at and annoyance at Potter's antics in the Headmaster's office…  visions of Potter's face when he realized that Hermione was in danger…

What seemed to continue for hours, but in fact had only lasted mere minutes, finally ceased and Snape allowed himself the luxury of a moment to breathe and recollect his thoughts as Voldemort finally ceased his invasion.  Severus had known that the Dark Lord would use _Legilimens_ to obtain the answers to his questions and sensing that time was running out for the young woman still kneeling beside him, he had chosen to look directly into Voldemort's eyes in the hopes that the creature would speed things up.  It would not be long before it was time to summon the remaining Death Eaters and Severus needed to quickly convince the Dark Lord of Lucius' treachery.  It was his hope that such knowledge would be distraction in and of itself, allowing the young Gryffindor a few precious moments to make a getaway.  Dumbledore had mentioned the existence of a second wand and thus far Lucius had not spoken of any such thing.  Perhaps it was still in her possession and perhaps the girl would use that formidable brain of hers to watch for his signal and make a break for it.   He grimaced behind the confines of the loathed mask that currently hid his face.  There were far too many _'perhaps'_ in the formula for his liking and such a fact did little to bolster his spirits.

"It would appear that you are telling me the truth, my servant," Voldemort hissed yet again and eyed the Potions Master in a thoughtful manner.  "Though I suppose that it is possible that you are lying."

Snape was far too intelligent to rise to the bait the Dark Lord deliberately dangled in front of him like the proverbial carrot.  To argue the point when it was obvious that Voldemort would draw his own conclusions, would only serve to see him hexed.  Lucius' recent encounter mere moments beforehand had been enough to remind him of that small fact. 

"However, it is fortunate that we have another means of verifying the truth of your words this evening," the creature continued, with a strange gleam in his eye that had the Potions Master more than a little worried. 

"Stand up, girl!" the Dark Lord commanded, finally turning the full brunt of his attention on Hermione who had decided that remaining quiet was probably her best option under the circumstances.  She sighed, knowing that there was no way she could go against the order and to struggle against such a small command, and that was the only word for it considering the imperiously regal way in which it was given, would only bring the creature's wrath upon her sooner.  No, she would wait and conserve her energy for something more important; such as the impending escape she still hoped to be able to pull off.

The fact that the Professor had actually answered the Dark Lord's call had surprised her though she supposed that in a way it really shouldn't have.  After all, he risked his life each and every time he appeared before the vile creature that was now appraising her carefully.  However, with Malfoy throwing a spanner into their plans, she had entertained the thought that Snape might just cut his losses and either remain at Hogwarts or go into hiding to work for the Order in a different capacity.  Either way, she wondered what he had in mind and what he hoped to gain by his presence.  The only way that she could even have seen him turning Malfoy's carefully crafted plan to his advantage was to show up with Ron in tow as a sign of good faith.  Since it was obvious that he had Apparated alone, she could fathom neither his motives nor his intentions.  It was a thought that made her feel ill at ease even though his physical presence still served to provide her with a glimmer of hope. 

"So you are Harry Potter's little Mudblood friend," the Dark Lord murmured softly, causing Hermione to shiver ever so slightly at the malice that lurked beneath his words. Remembering both Harry's and Professor Snape's warnings of Voldemort's prowess with Legilimens, she kept her eyes averted toward the ground, though she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have to look directly into the face of the creature that now circled her as if she were nothing more than potential prey waiting to be swooped upon and devoured. 

"You and I have much to discuss, my dear," he continued, placing an inordinate amount of emphasis on the endearment before returning to stand directly in front of her.  "It would seem that you are not overly surprised to find your Potions teacher here by my side this evening.  I wonder why that is?"

The question was rhetorical and Hermione well knew it though she saw this as an opportunity to draw attention away from the Potion Master's involvement within the Order of the Phoenix.  If she couldn't help herself then perhaps she could help him ever so slightly.  It wasn't much but it made the prospect of dying a little more palatable and easier to face. 

"Malfoy told us that you were working for Voldemort," she spat contemptuously at the silent figure that stood next to her, "but I refused to believe it.  Now, here you stand, waiting to do whatever bidding that _thing _orders of you and all along you were just biding your time at Hogwarts and collecting information.  How could you?  Dumbledore trusted you!"

"A fact he will soon regret," the Dark Lord broke in laughingly before Snape could form a reply.  "My servants are everywhere and that withered fool of a Headmaster will soon realize that he holds only the cards that I have allowed him to hold."

"You are wrong if you think that this will be enough to bring either Dumbledore or Harry down," she responded bravely, playing up the innocent Gryffindor image for all it was worth.  "Dumbledore might be hurt by Professor Snape's betrayal but it won't matter in the end.  Harry will still defeat you."

"Harry Potter will do nothing more substantial than mourn the loss of his little Mudblood friend," the Dark Lord spat contemptuously.  "Your death will weaken him as surely as it will break his spirit."

"Again, you're wrong," she replied quietly, lifting her head ever so slightly in a gesture of pride and dignity that Snape found rare in one so young.  "My death might hurt Harry but it will only strengthen his resolve to bring about your demise.  You have failed.  If you had truly wanted to make an impact than you would have managed to capture both Ron and I, but from what I've been told today, I guess that's what you had in mind before Malfoy stepped in and screwed things up."

"It will not matter," Voldemort insisted, his temper rising at the young woman's continued faith in her friend.  "Your death will cause him pain and that pain will fester until he can no longer function.  It will make him weak."

"It will make him stronger," she whispered, saddened for the emotional turmoil her friend would have to suffer on account of the malevolent fiend that stood before her.

"It will make him reckless and he will fail," the Dark Lord countered, but Hermione and Snape both noted that his conviction seemed to have slipped ever so slightly.

"It will make him determined and I have never seen Harry fail at anything once he's set his mind to it," she declared truthfully. 

Turning toward both Malfoy and Snape, she allowed herself a tired but wry little smile.  "I bet it was a great shock to find us both gone from your dungeons this afternoon, Professor. In fact, I'd be willing to wager that it was probably almost as much of a shock to you as it was to us, especially since you seem to have gone to such lengths to ensure that we were the only two students to be held back from the Hogsmeade weekend.  I should have known that something wasn't right.  I should have listened to Ron when he told me that something smelled rank when you didn't include Harry in the detention, but no… I trusted you because you're a Hogwarts teacher and because you have a duty to protect the students. And because of that really bad lapse in judgment on my part, I wrongly decided that it was nothing more than another one of your unjust punishments to Gryffindors in general and blindly went along with it."

She heard snickers from beneath the masks of a few of the other Death Eaters at her remark though a quick turn of the Professor's own masked head immediately squelched their laughter.  Even masked, the Potions Master seemed to command respect.  It was a fact that Hermione would have smiled at had she not needed to continue to play the role of duped Gryffindor to steer Voldemort away from Lucius Malfoy's correct assumptions regarding Severus Snape.

"And you," Hermione continued her tirade undaunted as she turned her attention toward the Malfoy patriarch who stood by somewhat shocked and dumbstruck that the small wisp of a Witch standing before them was taking the opportunity to take them to task rather than plead for her life.  "I'm just glad that I was there to see the look on your face when the Headmaster used the _Perattrahere_ spell to recall us.  It may not have worked for me but at least it worked for Ron and that means that ultimately, you've ruined your _Master's_ great big plan of bringing down Harry. We're Harry Potter's best friends for goodness sakes!  Did you honestly think that he wouldn't have enacted some sort of failsafe in case someone decided to try and hurt Harry by taking us?  _Honestly!_  So when you all fail, and you _WILL_ fail, be sure to take a bow because the credit will be yours and yours alone."  

Before Hermione could catch her breath from her ridicule of the blond Wizard, Lucius had whipped out his wand and pointed it directly at her. 

"No one takes that tone with a Malfoy, let alone a worthless little Mudblood such as yourself," he yelled, thoroughly enraged.

"That will be enough, Lucius," Voldemort hissed.  "If Severus can stand back patiently while the girl regales us with her demonstration of misplaced loyalty then you can do the same. Besides, I am _not_ finished with her yet.  After all, we still have so… much… more… to… discuss."

The last part of the snake-like creature's sentence was issued slowly with each word deliberately accentuated for Hermione's benefit.  The ploy was obviously intended to instill fear and it was definitely working, though Hermione at least hoped that she was doing a passable job of hiding exactly how frightened she truly was.  Given the evidence, the Gryffindor suspected that Voldemort enjoyed putting on a bit of a show not only for his intended victims but also for his following and, if she were to be completely honest, he really did have a knack for the whole dark and creepy genre that few could have surpassed. 

_'Just my luck that I get to be one of the lucky ones to experience it first hand,'_ she thought with more than a hint of derision.

"And now," Voldemort continued speaking as he placed a long bony finger underneath her chin and lifted her face until her eyes made contact with his own, "you are going to tell me, and in great detail, exactly what you know about Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix and Severus Snape."

A split second later she heard a softly whispered _Legilimens_ and felt the first unwelcome tendrils of invasion as Voldemort allowed his consciousness to enter her mind.

TBC

Author's Note:  Thanks to OzRatbag2 for her wonderful suggestions for this chapter as well as my many thanks to those of you still reading and following along with this story.  Next chapter will finally answer the very LONG awaited question of whether or not Hermione escapes from the Dark Lord's clutches. 


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Not now…not ever. Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company. Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

Chapter Eighteen

"Checkmate," an oddly quiet voice called, its usual jubilance at winning the game of Wizard's Chess missing from the owner's voice.

"That's two games in a row that you've beaten me at now," Harry murmured, though there was little conviction behind his words over his second defeat of the evening at the hands of his long time friend.

"I suppose so," Ron muttered, his eyes filled with worry.

"This is ridiculous," the Boy-Who-Lived noted, slamming his recently defeated king back on its appropriate place on the chessboard as they reset their pieces for yet another game. "Why haven't we heard anything yet?"

"It hasn't really been all that long, Harry," Ron reminded him, glancing at the magical clock that hung in the corner of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"What if he doesn't get her out in time?" the worried Gryffindor asked, though it was a general question that he really wasn't expecting an answer to. "What if Snape decides to save himself and doesn't bring Hermione back?"

"Dumbledore did tell him that his position was the most important thing," Ron agreed glumly, wondering how much longer it would be before they received any word regarding their friend's fate.

"That's what worries me," Harry muttered, sitting back in his seat and staring vacantly at the oversized fireplace. "What if he decides to listen to Dumbledore and we don't ever see her again?"

"I don't know, but Hermione's wicked smart and if anyone can find a way out of such a mess then it would be her especially since she still has that secret wand," the youngest of the Weasley boys declared, injecting a note of confidence into his words that he didn't really feel. "Besides, Snape wouldn't have gone if he didn't think he had at least a small chance of bringing her back."

"Are you sure about that?" his friend grumbled uncharitably. "I mean this is _Snape_ we're talking about. Who knows what his motivations are for doing anything?"

"You might have a point," Ron agreed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a Sugar Quill. After tearing off the cellophane package, he plopped the candy confection in his mouth and momentarily enjoyed its sweet flavor.

"I don't know, Harry," he mumbled thoughtfully as he attempted to speak around the candy. "Snape's an awful big mystery at times and he's certainly as nasty as they come when he's dealing with students, but I don't think that he would knowingly walk into a situation like this when he knows that he could very well die if he didn't think that he could succeed. Besides, it's a challenge and the git gets off on that kind of thing."

"For someone who's always proclaimed to hate the man, you certainly seem supportive of him now," Harry observed with a frown.

"I never said that I like him and I still don't," Ron admitted, thankful that no one else was in the Common Room to hear the conversation. "But you have to admit that the man has a knack for pulling off the impossible when it comes to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I mean, look at what he's pulled off so far. I doubt that many others could have done it. Maybe it's because he's Slytherin or maybe he's just so mean that he intimidates everyone, but if anyone can get Hermione out of this whole mess then it's going to be him. He probably had a plan all thought out by the time he got there and he's probably got her out by now. Right?"

Harry reluctantly nodded his head, not wanting to dampen the positive attitude that his friend was trying so valiantly to put forth. The Boy-Who-Lived wasn't certain which of their spirits Ron was trying to raise but a part of him suspected that the answer involved both of them. He shook his head slightly and thought about his friend's words.

Hopefully Ron was right and Snape did have a plan. He certainly seemed determined enough when Harry had stopped him in the hallway earlier and demanded to go with him. A frown marred his face as he thought for the hundredth time that evening that he should have ignored Snape's orders, grabbed his father's Invisibility Cloak, and secretly tagged along despite the Potions Master's insistence to the contrary. After all, he rarely listened to such advice in the past if he thought he could help so why did he listen now when Hermione's life was in danger?

_'Because you know that Ron is right and that if anyone can get her out of there it's Snape,'_ a voice inside his head whispered.

The frown deepened as he realized that the words held more than a slight ring of truth. Snape was familiar with the way that Voldemort and the Death Eaters operated and he knew how to maneuver in such situations. Whether The-Boy-Who-Lived liked it or not, the irritating Wizard was Hermione's best option for survival at the moment and Harry only hoped that his unusual acquiescence to the Potions Master's demands wouldn't cost the young Witch her life. If it did then there would be no holding back the tide of ire that threatened to flow from him. He would go after Voldemort, Snape and even Dumbledore if it meant avenging her death and no one would convince him otherwise.

_'Snape was right,'_ he thought, the haze of anger and frustration having momentarily played itself out_. 'I couldn't have sat there calmly and waited for an opportunity to defeat Voldemort if Hermione's safety was at stake.'_

"Harry…" a voice repeatedly called, finally pulling the young man away from his dark thoughts.

"What?" the black haired Gryffindor asked, turning toward the voice to see his friend looking at him with more than a touch of concern.

"Harry, it's your turn, mate," Ron explained, pointing to the chessboard. "Where were you? I called you several times and you just sat there frowning and staring off into space."

"I was thinking about Hermione," he admitted with a sigh. "I keep thinking that I should have taken the Invisibility Cloak and followed Snape. Maybe I could have gotten her out of there and he wouldn't have needed to risk his position."

Ron went silent for a moment and then finally laid the now empty Sugar Quill stick on the table next to the chessboard, just barely touching the edge of the well-worn surface. The chess pieces looked at the refuse momentarily and then began pointing angrily to the candy stick and then to Ron. Flicking his hand at them in annoyance, the young man returned his attention to his friend and cautiously spoke his next words, hoping that Harry wouldn't be too angry at his frankness.

"Listen, mate, I know that you don't like Snape. I mean, blimey, I don't like him much either but the man is obviously good at what he does otherwise he wouldn't have lasted this long. Dad says that Snape's one of the best duelers around and Mum said that he knows more about the Dark Arts than anyone she's ever met, Dumbledore included. So, I figure that if he's that insistent on being the one to save Hermione then he must really believe that he can do it. I _have _to believe that, Harry, otherwise I'll go nuts just sitting here waiting. And let's face it I wouldn't be much use as I am right now if I had to go up against You-Know-Who and his cronies. After all, the training we've had in Dumbledore's Army has been great but there's a big difference when it comes to casting hexes in practice and facing down the Dark Lord's goons, wouldn't you say? And yes, you might have been able to get Hermione out of there but chances are that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have sensed your presence or something; because of your scar and your link with him, and then you and Hermione would have been in greater danger. Then Snape would have had to try to save both of you, which would have made his job twice as difficult. Not to mention that it would have made him all the more impossible to deal with if you all did make it back alive and he's already impossible enough to deal with as he is with all of his snide remarks, detentions and bloody House Point deductions." Drawing breath, Ron continued, "really, Harry, I think this way is for the best and since you are the one that's going to have to face the Dark Lord in the end, I just think that you should wait until you're fully ready to do it right and not when your mind is only half there because you're preoccupied with trying to rescue Hermione at the same time."

Ron sat back for a moment and took a deep breath as he awaited his friend's reaction to his honest, but rather long-winded speech. He only hoped that Harry wouldn't storm off in silence and attempt to deal with things on his own as he had a habit of doing from time to time.

Harry, for his part, remained oddly quiet as he picked up a pawn and advanced it two spaces forward on the chessboard. It was his opening move but for all the attention he was paying to the game it could have been his final move and he probably wouldn't have noticed… or cared for that matter. All he wanted was to get Hermione back safe and sound, finish up his last week at Hogwarts and then go after the Dark Lord and finish things off once and for all. He was tired of sitting around and waiting to see what the reptilian fiend would come up with next or which of his friends would suffer simply because they dared to care enough about him to stand by his side. It simply wasn't fair and he had had more than enough. It was time to put an end to things and it was time to do so in the very near future. But first he had to make certain that Snape brought Hermione back alive and well.

"I guess that it's just all too much to take in," Harry admitted grudgingly. "First you and Hermione disappear, then you come back and Hermione is still in danger, then Malfoy turns out to be something that we hadn't counted on and helps us out for whatever reason, then Snape decides to play hero… I'm just tired of this game between Voldemort and myself."

"I know, Harry, but the way I see it, you've got no choice right now," Ron pointed out grimly. "First we get Hermione back, then we figure out why Malfoy turned against his dad and is suddenly on our side and then we make plans to put an end to things once and for all with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. One step at a time, Harry… One step at a time."

"Yeah," Harry repeated hollowly, "one step at a time. Do you really think Snape had a plan to get Hermione out of there all along?"

"He's Slytherin, isn't he?" Ron asked, moving his knight the appropriate number of spaces and watched as the tiny playing piece gleefully knocked Harry's pawn off the board. "And we all know that Slytherins don't do anything that hasn't been planned out and doesn't benefit them in some way. He's got a plan and he's probably just about ready to put it into action and get Hermione out of there if he hasn't already. You'll see, Harry, she'll be back with us anytime now and boy will she be angry with Pansy and Blaise when she finds out that they were the ones that kidnapped us in the first place."

"I'd hate to be Pansy when Hermione finds out that she took the bracelet for the _Perattrahere_ spell," Harry said with a devious grin, knowing that all hell would break out when his bushy haired friend discovered who was behind her extended stay with Lucius Malfoy and the rest of the Death Eaters.

Ron merely replied by flashing his friend an equally devious grin before pointing to the chessboard indicating that it was Harry's turn to make a move.

"Thanks, Ron," he murmured, determined to concentrate on his friend's words rather than his own nagging worries. After all, Ron was right when he said that Slytherins never went into a situation without a plan or something to gain and Snape had his life to gain by making Voldemort believe his story and turn against Lucius Malfoy.

_'But what does he have to gain by saving Hermione's life?'_ the voice whispered yet again.

It was a question that brought another frown to Harry's face as he realized that Snape really didn't have anything to gain by saving the Gryffindor. Still, the brooding man had seemed to be genuinely concerned for her safety when they were all in Dumbledore's office and he had almost slipped up and called her by her given name. That had to mean something, didn't it? Harry sighed quietly yet again and plastered a fake smile on his face for the benefit of his friend who was beginning to look concerned once again by Harry's quiet sighs and darkening facial expressions.

"You're right, Ron," he acknowledged with a sense of light heartedness that he definitely didn't feel. "Snape probably had things planned out all along and any moment now, McGonagall or Dumbledore will come through that door and tell us that everything's alright."

"Exactly," Ron replied with a forced sense of happiness of his own before returning his attention to the game in front of them. Neither boy wanted to think what might happen if they were wrong.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Severus Snape stood before the Dark Lord and gazed at the scene unfolding before him with more than a touch of trepidation. He nervously fingered the Portkey in his pocket wondering if he should just grab Granger and issue the short incantation that would carry them to safety. Unfortunately, he knew that as soon as he reached for the troublesome girl that his Master would sense his intentions. In fact, Severus was surprised that the malevolent creature hadn't sensed anything yet as he was certain his emotions must be rolling off him in waves by now.

Perhaps he was an even better actor than he realized?

Casting a quick look next to him, he noted the intense look in the older Malfoy's eyes as the tall blond haired wizard looked on with what was sure to be an expression of undisguised glee on his finely chiseled features. Once again Snape found himself inordinately grateful for the loathsome masks they were forced to wear as the heavy brass served to hide their facial expressions. Allowing Lucius to witness his disdain would only serve to raise suspicion and further limit his possibilities of escape, should it become necessary, as it would draw even more unwanted attention from his long-time _friend_.

A strangled, though barely audible, noise emanated from Hermione and Snape quickly turned his attention to the girl with a mental hiss. It didn't take a genius to realize that the foolish young woman was trying valiantly to resist the Dark Lord's intrusion into her mind. Her chocolate eyes were tightly closed and each of her fists was tightly clenched at her sides. The corners of her usually talkative mouth were turned downward in a grimace that made the Potions Master wince though it was obvious his Master was elated by the entire situation.

"Yes, that's right, child," the Dark Lord hissed with undisguised delight as he probed even further into her mind. "Your puny efforts of defiance, amusing though they may be, will not stop me from obtaining the information I seek. Even now I feel what little control you have fought to summon, disintegrate into nothingness."

Hermione grimaced as she felt the probing tentacles of Voldemort's mind rifle through her childhood memories as if he were perusing a Muggle library index. Images of her first vacation with her parents flashed through her mind followed quickly by glimpses of her fifth and sixth birthdays. She didn't really care if the fiend standing above her knew of these images or not, though his invasion left her cold with the feeling of violation. However, she figured that if she pretended to fight then he might not realize that she was hiding behind the Mind Strengthening potion that would hopefully serve to keep him away from the more recent memories and information that the Order couldn't afford to let slip into his grasp; Memories that Professor Snape couldn't allow to become public knowledge.

She shivered as a dark, high-pitched cackle broke the air and realized that Voldemort had managed to witness her first meeting with Harry and Ron.

_"Well, it's not a very_ _good spell is it?… You're Harry Potter! I'm Hermione Granger… And you are?"_

_"Was I really that snooty?"_ she wondered with a touch of dismay as the trio's initial introduction on the Hogwart's Express played through her mind. For a brief moment she had the sensation of sitting in a dark theatre watching an odd movie. It all seemed so unreal somehow. Moments later, she wished for that feeling to return as Voldemort wormed his way even deeper into her mind.

Images of Professor Snape were crossing her mind at lightning speed and she could feel the power of the Mind Strengthening potion being tested to its limit. Biting down on the uncomfortable sensations that the Dark Lord was conjuring in his quest for information, Hermione focused on directing her thoughts to specific scenes of the Potions Master. Scenes that would leave Voldemort with little doubt that Snape's treatment of the 'Dream Team' had been less than kind.

"I see no difference…" the memory of a tall dark man muttered before a younger, crying Hermione went running toward the Infirmary at breakneck speed in the hopes that Madame Pomfrey could repair the damage that Malfoy had done to her teeth.

_"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, and detention this evening," _hissed the Potions Master in her memory as he punished her in front of the class for a mistake that was obviously Malfoy's fault. Naturally, Draco had gone unpunished and Hermione allowed her feelings of frustration to pour through the memory and on to a hungry Dark Lord that seemed to delight in every bit of torment his servant had cast upon Harry Potter and his friends.

It was just as the Dark Lord reached her memories of the previous summer that she felt her control slipping and realized the Mind Strengthening potion must be wearing off.

_"I'll never be able to keep him away from my memories of __Grimmauld Place__ if he doesn't stop soon,"_ she thought bleakly, knowing that her Professor's duplicity would be revealed, as he had been a frequent visitor to the Order's headquarters. _"Not to mention the fact that he will know who several of the Order members are and waste little time in hunting them down and destroying them." _

A lone tear trickled down her face as she realized that Arthur and Molly Weasley, along with Tonks and Remus Lupin would be amongst the people that would soon die at Voldemort's hand. She shook her head momentarily to try and gain some additional control over her memories but no matter how hard she tried, she could feel the protective barriers of the potion melting away. Another few seconds and all of her efforts would be for nothing.

_'All of those dedicated members of the Order will soon be tortured and killed because I wasn't strong enough to fight him off,'_ she mentally murmured, thankful that there was still enough of the potion within her system to keep the Dark Lord from seeing her current thoughts. Another tear stormed down her cheek and she suddenly screamed as she felt the barrier created by the Mind Strengthening potion collapse into nothingness. What she had thus far perceived as uncomfortable probing on Voldemort's behalf was in actuality intense pain as the demon before her continued to forcibly ravage her mind. Only now did she realize that the potion, in addition to shielding her deepest thoughts, had also offered her resistance to the pain. As another tentacle pushed and pulled at her mind, Hermione realized that she would have gladly given all that she owned for just a few more moments of protection from the potion.

Just as her body was on the brink of collapse and her mind caving in once and for all, a darkly robed figure ran up and kneeled before the Dark Lord.

"My Lord," murmured the frantic voice of a young Death Eater. Instantly, the pain in her mind eased as Voldemort brought a halt to his current efforts and turned his attention to the newcomer with more than a hint of impatience in his voice.

"You are late, my servant," the Dark Lord hissed, turning his full attention to the darkly clad figure bowed in reverence at his feet. "You know the penalty for failing to answer my summons in a timely manner…"

"Yes, my Lord," the young man answered softly, and Hermione was sure that she detected the slightest hitch of fear in the aristocratic voice that she was now certain belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. Although Harry and Ron had insisted the Slytherin was more than likely a member of the Dark Lord's ranks, Hermione's need to believe the best in everyone had prevailed and she had insisted that her friends were judging the young man unfairly. After all, he wasn't even out of Hogwart's yet and didn't Voldemort usually wait to draft new recruits until they were out of school? She sighed softly at her own naivety, knowing that she owed both Harry and Ron a heartfelt apology if she were lucky enough to make it out of this mess and return to Hogwarts in one piece.

"I apologize for temporarily ignoring your summons, My Lord, but there was an incident at Hogwarts that I felt would warrant your immediate attention," the young man breathed, praying that his Master would be pleased enough with the information he had obtained to forgo the usual penance of a Crucio for his tardiness.

Voldemort lowered his bony hand and looked upon his servant with obvious interest. "An incident, you say? Rise and tell me of this incident."

Draco suppressed a sly but nervous grin behind his mask at Voldemort's interest. If all went well then the dark creature would be pleased with his information and Draco would rise in esteem ever so slightly. Such a thing was necessary if he was to continue spying for Dumbledore, and it would allow him more room to maneuver within the ranks. The urge to glance over and yell at his father for placing him in such a situation once again attempted to reassert itself and yet again Draco forcefully pushed it back to the corner of his mind. With any luck, he would one day have such an opportunity to tell his father exactly what he thought of this entire foolish mess but now was not the time. Focusing his attention entirely on the Dark Lord, the young Slytherin schooled his thoughts and began speaking with a quiet confidence that few possessed when confronted with the physical presence of the reptilian being.

"My Lord, I had returned to the Slytherin dormitory to fetch my robes and Portkey so that I might immediately answer your summons when I heard Professor McGonagall enter the Common Room with two other people whose voices I didn't recognize. Moments later I heard them come up the stairs so I hid in my room with the door slightly ajar so that I might discover what had brought the Gryffindor harpy to Slytherin territory. It turns out that the people with McGonagall were Ministry Aurors that had come to arrest Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson for the abduction of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley."

Hermione quickly turned her head upon hearing Draco's revelation. _'Why that… that little… witch!' _she thought with a surge of vengeance._ 'Just wait until I get out of here and get my hands on her disgusting pug face! I'll rip her to shreds for putting us through this!'_

"Lucius, I assume this was how you managed to remove the Mudblood and her friend from Hogwarts?" The Dark Lord muttered, turning his attention directly toward the older Malfoy.

"It was the only sensible choice, my Lord, seeing as how I myself would have attracted an undue amount of attention had I made an appearance on school grounds and they were found missing shortly after I had left," he stammered, sending Draco a deadly glare.

It was all the Potions Master could do to refrain from reminding Lucius that he would not have had the chance to abduct anyone from Hogwarts as Dumbledore always made certain the conniving wizard was escorted by a trusted member of the staff upon his departure. Briefly turning his attention to the young Gryffindor as she stood quietly listening to Draco's narration of recent events, the Potions Master was pleased to note that Hermione's face was sporting the same type of malicious smirk as his own at Lucius' obvious discomfort. Now if he could only figure out what the Dark Lord had seen through his use of Legilimency, he could determine what course of action would be best. Severus couldn't imagine Granger, stubborn though she was, holding out that long against someone of Voldemort's skill, especially since she hadn't yet trained in Occlumency. Perhaps he should grab her now and Portkey out of this scenario while Draco held the bulk of Voldemort's attention? With a barely audible sigh, Snape decided to wait and see how things played out for a while before taking such drastic measures.

_'Perhaps Granger was actually able to withhold certain information after all. If not and my true allegiance has been discovered then why hasn't the Dark Lord hexed me within an inch of my life, if not killed me outright, already?'_ the Potions Master pondered. It didn't make sense. Snape had not detected any anger toward himself emanating from Voldemort but how could she have pulled off such a feat? _'Unless she used the Mind Strengthening potion… but how when she was presumably searched upon being brought to Lucius and was then most likely watched constantly until she was brought before the Dark Lord?' _

So many questions to which he desperately needed answers badgered at him. The sound of his Master's voice however brought his thoughts back to the matter at hand. Pushing his personal queries aside, Severus listened attentively, hoping that Lucius' most recent bout of arrogance and disobedience would distract Voldemort while he devised some sort of plan.

"We will see how sensible your choice was in a moment," Voldemort seethed as he returned his attention to Draco and ordered him to continue with his narration.

"Well… the Aurors burst into the room and there was a lot of shrieking and screaming, mostly on Pansy's part, as it seems they caught her and Blaise at a rather… inopportune time," Draco revealed, unable to stop the rather wide grin that broke across his face as he remembered Pansy's rather audible dismay at being caught in the act. "I heard McGonagall tell them that someone had overheard Blaise and Pansy discussing how they had dressed up as Death Eaters so they could enter the Potions classroom without compromising their identities. Evidently they bragged quite a bit about how they abducted Granger and Weasley by using Portkeys that my father sent them."

"Who was this person that overheard those idiots?" the Dark Lord demanded in a voice that was just short of an outraged scream.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, but neither McGonagall nor the Aurors revealed that information and when Blaise denied the charges, he was simply told that the source was _reliable_," Draco answered, nearly laughing aloud at the obvious loathing emanating from the older Malfoy. Whether or not such loathing was directed at himself or Pansy and Blaise, Draco had no idea, but it was still nice to see his father in such a state of distress.

_'Consider it a small piece of payback on the chaos you've brought to my own life, Father,'_ Draco thought, glancing one more time at the irate older Malfoy.

"Obviously, this source went directly to Dumbledore," Voldemort spat. "I assume that these Aurors followed standard procedure and took them to the Ministry pending an investigation?"

"Yes, my Lord," Draco agreed.

"My Lord, if I may…" Severus drawled in an almost bored tone of voice, "The Ministry has no tangible proof as to the veracity of these allegations other than someone's verbal testimony. It should therefore merely be a matter of finding this source and _convincing_ him or her to retract their statement."

"I don't think so, sir," Draco answered quietly, nearly jumping back a step when the Dark Lord sharply turned his head to stare at the younger Malfoy.

"Why would you say that?" the snake-like figure hissed.

"Because Pansy was wearing a bracelet when they found her; apparently it was a one of a kind bracelet that belonged to Granger," he replied looking nervously between the Dark Lord, Granger, Lucius and Snape.

"What bracelet?" Lucius yelped, eyeing Hermione with more than a touch of accusation.

"Yes. It would seem that Dumbledore had given the Mudblood this bracelet as part of some type of spell that would allow him to return her to safety if someone were to abduct her from Hogwarts. From what I could gather, Pansy must have seen it and taken it from Granger when she kidnapped her from the dungeons."

"What do you have to say for yourself, Lucius?" Voldemort hissed, raising his hand menacingly.

Lucius quivered ever so slightly underneath his cloak. He should never have trusted those incompetent fools but what other choice did he have? Plans had to be made quickly and a Wizard must and should always utilize the resources he has available to him at the time. Unfortunately, he realized that his desire to prove Severus Snape a traitor might have caused him serious problems if he was reading the Dark Lord's expressions correctly.

"I was unaware of the presence of a bracelet, My Lord," the aristocratic Wizard answered carefully. "Perhaps this source was incorrect?"

"And perhaps not," Voldemort replied tersely. Turning his attention to Hermione, he reached out and grabbed her chin, holding her face still and forcing her to look directly into his angry eyes.

"Well, girl, is any of this true?" the creature demanded. "Did that old meddling fool of a Headmaster give you a bracelet that would allow him to summon you at will?"

Hermione momentarily thought about defying the thug that currently held her captive but decided that denying such an allegation would prove to be of no use to anyone; especially herself. With such a thought in mind, she allowed a malicious smile to cross her delicate features as she truthfully answered the Dark Lord's question.

"It is true, actually," she replied sounding much calmer then she felt as she gazed directly into Voldemort's red eyes. "Ron and I are Harry's best friends and it didn't take a genius to figure out that you would come for us eventually in the hopes of hurting Harry."

"Odd that the meddling fool didn't mention this to you before now, isn't it?" Voldemort asked, directing his question to a silent Severus Snape.

The Potions Master merely looked back at his irate Master and calmly reiterated that he had no knowledge of such actions and that he had no idea why Dumbledore had chosen to keep such information to himself.

"This situation will have to be dealt with immediately," the Dark Lord hissed and called forth one of the masked men that stood farther back in the shadows.

Hermione didn't recognize the Death Eater that obediently stepped forth to answer his Master's summons but soon found herself gasping with a sense of mortified astonishment when she found out exactly how the Dark Lord intended to deal with the 'situation' that was Blaise and Pansy.

"You understand your orders?" the Dark Lord asked the masked man. Upon receiving a nod of the Death Eater's masked head, Voldemort continued. "Good, I expect to read about their unfortunate and _accidental_ deaths tomorrow morning in the Daily Prophet. I cannot risk them divulging any more information, wittingly or unwittingly, than they already have. You are dismissed, but keep in mind that if you fail me you will suffer the****same fate alongside them."

Voldemort's face twisted and contorted into a mask of emotions that was something of a cross between loathing and pure hatred as he watched the Death Eater leave to carry out his assignment. Turning toward Lucius, he deliberately took a slow step toward the silent man and glared directly into the grayish eyes that stared out from behind the heavy mask.

It was with a sense of spiteful curiosity that Hermione watched the scene unfolding before her, hoping that Lucius would finally receive what he so richly deserved. As much as she disliked Pansy and her cronies, she hadn't wanted to see them killed and she laid the blame for such an atrocious outcome right where she felt it truly belonged… at Lucius Malfoy's feet.

"This is your doing, Lucius," the snake-like figure hissed as he raised his hand and ripped the ghastly mask from the wizard's face. "You were the one that insisted Severus was a spy. You were the one who defied my orders and took it upon yourself to alter my carefully laid out plans."

"But, Master," Lucius pleaded, only to be hushed by a hastily cast Silencing spell from the Dark Lord.

"SILENCE! You have dared to second guess me time and again, and your disobedience has alerted that idiotic Muggle lover of a Headmaster as to my plans. As a direct result of****that you have cost me two of my newest Death Eaters!"

Lucius' eyes went wide with fear as a result of his Master's words and the menace that lay within the depths of Voldemort's unearthly red eyes. He knew to utter so much as the tiniest of syllables could well cost him his life if it wasn't forfeit already. Not that he could speak of course considering that the Dark Lord had yet to remove the Silencing spell.

'How could Snape have gotten out of this one?' Lucius wondered, casting a quick glance toward Hermione. He had had everything planned out… every last detail accounted for… So why hadn't the Dark Lord discovered the Potion Master's true loyalties when he delved into the Mudblood's mind? What had gone wrong? And what would the irate creature standing before him demand as payment for his errors?

Voldemort was unaware of Lucius' internal monologue but had he been so he probably would have simply laughed in delight at the confusion the blond Wizard currently found himself mired in. Stepping next to the man, their bodies scant centimeters apart from one another, the Dark Lord leaned close and whispered, "You have failed me for the last time, Lucius."

It was that quietly hissed whisper that made Lucius suddenly realize just how much trouble he was truly in. A loud and angry Dark Lord was dangerous but a quiet and calm Dark Lord could be downright deadly. Seeing no other option but to speak, Lucius decided to make one final attempt at accusing Snape of traitorous behavior. At this rate he figured the worst that could happen was that he would bring the slippery Slytherin down with him. Making a deft motion that indicated his desire to speak, he waited with trepidation as Voldemort raised his hand. Fortunately, any hexes the creature may have wished to cast were to be postponed as the Dark Lord satisfied himself for the time being by simply removing the Silencing spell.

"But, My Lord, I brought you a Ministry informant who has verified that my information is accurate," the senior Malfoy pleaded. "I have also delivered the Mudblood. Surely you were able to see Severus' acts of disloyalty against us within her memories?"

"I saw nothing to indicate that he is anything other than an overly strict instructor with a taste for annoying Gryffindors!" Voldemort snapped. "As for your Ministry informant, I warned you what would happen if such information proved to be a waste of my time."

Upon hearing the Dark Lord speak these words, the unknown figure, still shrouded within the dark cloak, seemed to take several steps backwards as if to distance herself from the almost certain retaliation that was yet to come. After all, Voldemort himself had warned her of the consequences should her allegations against Snape prove to be untrue and she silently cursed herself yet again for falling into Lucius Malfoy's trap of coercion. Her instincts had originally told her to go to Albus Dumbledore and beg protection for her loved one but instead she had caved in and allowed herself to be persuaded by Malfoy's threats. What would her friends and family think of her now that she had betrayed her good reputation, not to mention her morals, and nearly sentenced a man, and most likely Hermione Granger, to death?

"I have had enough of your petty rivalries and disobedience," the Dark Lord hissed with a small expulsion of putrid breath that nearly knocked Hermione back to her knees.

'How could any of them stand to be near this thing?' she wondered once again, as she lowered her head and tried to maintain her composure.

Seconds later, Voldemort had pulled his wand from his pocket and cast Cruciatus on a wide-eyed Lucius Malfoy. The Wizard immediately fell to his knees with a scream of pain, begging his Master to forgive him for his actions.

Unfortunately for Lucius, the Dark Lord had been intent on hexing someone that evening, although in truth he had thought that someone would turn out to be Severus Snape. And while he hadn't wanted to believe that one of his senior Death Eaters would betray him in such a manner, and for what he considered to be such a lost cause, the evidence Lucius had brought forth in the form of a Ministry official had seemed quite damning. Still, stranger things had been known to happen and Snape's innocence; though still not completely grounded in fact, seemed to be more of a surety now that he had read the Mudblood's surprisingly extensive mind. He looked toward Hermione momentarily and considered inviting her into his fold knowing that a Witch with such intelligence and, from what he had viewed through his use of Legilimency, extensive powers, would make an extremely welcome ally. Still, he was wise enough to know that her loyalty to Harry Potter and her friends would make turning such a devoted individual near impossible. It was a shame really but Voldemort had suffered through worse disappointments in his life. Obviously, he would have to stay with his original plan and allow his servants to make use of the girl before ending her life and the potential threat that she might one day pose to his plans.

Deciding to leave the writhing Malfoy under an extended duration of Crucio, he turned to Draco and ordered the young man back to his usual place amongst the Death Eaters who****were still standing silently behind the small group gathered before the Dark Lord. However, just as the younger Malfoy took one last look at his agonized father and turned to reclaim his position amongst the others, Voldemort held his hand up in a motion that indicated he was to pause a moment.

"It would seem that I have no further use for you at the moment, my little Mudblood," the Dark Lord sneered, running a finger alongside her cheek. "Such a shame that someone of your talents could not see her way to joining my forces but I know for a fact that your Gryffindor traits, genuine and altruistic as they are, would never allow you to accept such an offer. Therefore, it is time to put an end to our … conversation."

Seconds later, Voldemort roughly grabbed her arm and thrust her at Draco, ordering the young Death Eater to return to his position amongst the others and keep a careful eye on Hermione.

"After all," the loathsome creature hissed, "we would not want to spoil the evening for those that will be joining us shortly by having them miss out on such a tempting morsel. Would we?"

Saying nothing, Draco merely nodded at his Master as if honored by the serpent's instructions. Grabbing Hermione's arm in a manner that appeared rougher than it actually was, the blond haired youngster quietly led her back to stand beside him as far away from the Dark Lord as he could manage without drawing undue attention to himself.

'How do I get myself into these situations?' Draco wondered with dark amusement, eyeing the irate young woman.

Hermione, who was thankful to be away from Voldemort but worried about his plans for her, directed her anger toward Draco by glaring at him with such a murderous expression that the Slytherin was almost thankful for the presence of the other Death Eaters as he was certain Granger would have otherwise hexed him to Hell.

'And I'd bet my Firebolt that it would have been a one-way trip too!' Malfoy thought, feeling his lips turn upwards into the beginnings of a sarcastic smirk.

"This is what happens to those that would go against me and their brethren," the Dark Lord told his followers, pointing to the blond haired man writhing on the ground. "Let this be a lesson to all that I will not tolerate disobedience from any of you regardless of your position or length of service within my ranks."

Turning his attention back to the Potions Master who had been wise enough, courtesy of past experience, to remain quiet during Voldemort's proclamations, he pondered the events that had recently unfolded.

"Severus," he rasped, drawing himself to his full height as he came to a halt directly in front of Snape. "You have been accused of being a traitor to me, your brothers and our cause. Although the evidence presented this evening in support of such accusations has failed to prove the allegations to be legitimate, doubts have still been raised as to your true loyalties. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I am now and have always been faithful to you, Master," Snape murmured immediately, bowing his head in a gesture of respectful submission. "Such allegations have been levied against me by Lucius in an attempt to raise your esteem of his own questionable services and personal desires in the hope that he may rise to take a place of honor by your side. I would humbly draw My Lord's attention to the fact that my actions whilst in your service have always been as a result of your will and that I have never disobeyed or questioned your orders."

Voldemort listened quietly to the Potion Master's words and remained silent for several minutes. Darkness was beginning to fall and the stillness brought on by the night and the lack of movement and sound from the surrounding Death Eaters was as disquieting to Snape as anything could have been.

'Surely if he believes Lucius' allegations against me to be truthful then he would be ranting and raving like the melodramatic lunatic he has proven himself to be time and time again?' Severus pondered as he tried to guess at the Dark Lord's next move. He frowned behind his mask and felt the undeniable urge to lift his gloved hand and eradicate the droplets of perspiration that had begun to form on his forehead. Knowing that the unpredictable figure in front of him would interpret the droplets as tangible proof of his supposed guilt for having been discovered a traitor, he wisely remained still.

Standing resolutely, his head bowed slightly in both mock reverence and anticipation of Voldemort's next move, Severus wished he could risk a surreptitious glance to ascertain the location of Draco and Hermione. He was not pleased that she was no longer in arm's reach as it made the possibility of immediate escape impossible.

'At least she's with Draco,' his inner voice whispered softly. It was a thought that he would have loved to be able to derive solace from but the plain and simple truth of the matter was that the younger Slytherin was not in any better of a position to rescue the captured Gryffindor. Voldemort's anti-apparition wards guaranteed that even if the boy did know how to Apparate, he would be unable to do so until the Dark Lord declared the meeting to be at an end and willingly removed them. Of course he could use the Portkey and transport both himself and Granger back to Hogwarts but that would be too obvious and Voldemort's Death Eaters would have either captured or killed them both before they could reach safety beyond the school gates.

'No,' Snape thought to himself, growing weary of the red-eyed scrutiny of his 'Master', 'I am still the girl's best hope of escape provided the Dark Lord doesn't choose to end things here and now.'

'Of course, he might decide to let you join the chit and share in the fun as part of the entertainment for the evening,' the voice inside his mind whispered with a cackle that sounded disturbingly similar to Lucius Malfoy.

He darted his eyes ever so slightly to the left to and was pleased to see that Malfoy Sr. was still lying huddled on the ground, his blue-gray eyes glazed as he stared unseeingly at the landscape in front of him. He didn't get very far in his perusal of his old nemesis as Voldemort, having been silent for far too long, finally decided to speak.

"You are fortunate, Severus, that I value your abilities to the extent that I do," Riddle hissed, elongating the first and third syllables of Snape's name so that it sounded as if the monstrous creature had begun speaking Parseltongue mid-sentence. "Had you been anyone else within my ranks I would not have hesitated to kill you outright and avoid the possibility that you may yet betray me. However, it would be foolish of me to hastily rid myself of someone as close to that deluded old Headmaster as you've managed to become. As such, I still have use of you, and so I will spare you the fate that I had originally planned."

"You are most gracious, My Lord," Snape murmured, feeling some of the tension that was suffusing his limbs lessen ever so slightly.

'Perhaps there is still a chance to salvage this mess that Lucius has brought down upon our heads after all…' he thought briefly, not daring to get his hopes up too high lest he become careless in his relief and make a critical error that could cost both himself and Hermione Granger their lives.

"So you have told me time and time again, my servant," Voldemort remarked dryly, and a small shiver ran down the Potion Master's spine when he saw the steely glint in the Dark Lord's eye. "And because I am such a gracious Master, Severus, I have decided that you will perform a small task that will serve to banish any remaining vestiges of doubt that I might still harbor towards you."

The shiver that had run down Snape's spine instantaneously transformed into full-blown dread as he cautiously awaited the details of the task that he was to perform. His heart shuddered knowing that it would most likely have something to do with Hermione.

'No… Granger,' he chastised himself yet again for his mental slip of referring to the girl by her given name, knowing that it was imperative he keep whatever thoughts and unwanted muddled concerns he had where she was concerned as distant as possible. Albus' earlier orders demanding that he protect his position at all costs echoed through his mind and he silently damned both of his 'masters' for their callous orders; Callous and calculated orders that had ruined so many innocent lives and left him with a myriad of hellish nightmares.

'Unlike the Dark Lord, Albus does not issue such orders to satisfy some internal need to watch others suffer,' the mental voice returned to softly rebuke him. And while Snape knew the words to be true, he still felt the pangs of guilt that would forever plague him no matter how great his efforts to atone.

Fearful that any hesitation the Dark Lord might sense on his behalf would cost him punishment or worse, Snape bowed his head respectively only to raise it again and look directly into the grinning face that seemed to stare right through him.

"What service might I perform for you this evening, My Lord?" the Potions Master asked, hoping it wouldn't involve raping, torturing or killing the young woman whom he had come to protect.

"You have been accused of treason against me, my servant, and therefore, seeing as these accusations have failed to prove true, I offer you the chance to avenge yourself upon your accuser," Voldemort hissed in what could almost be called a conversational tone of voice. A closer look at the serpentine figure standing before the small group quickly disabused everyone, including Snape that their Master was anything but pleased and Severus knew that nothing short of killing his accuser would satisfy the thirst for blood that shone so clearly from the hideous red eyes of the Dark Lord.

'It's not like the Wizarding World would be worse off for such an action,' Snape consoled himself, feeling the slightest twinge of remorse for the 'service' he was about to perform. Biting down hard on the part of his conscience that was forcefully reminding him that such actions were morally wrong, the Potions Master pulled his wand to the ready and, with a quick flourish of his voluminous robes, turned to confidently face the defiant, quivering form of Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't until he had uttered the first syllable of the Killing Curse that Voldemort crooked his finger and summoned Snape's wand to him, thereby stopping a now thoroughly confused Potions Master from following through with his actions and ridding the world of one more Death Eater.

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TBC

Author's Note: Yes, I realize that copious amounts of groveling for forgiveness are required at this time so I very humbly beg the pardon of those readers that are still following along with this story. It was not my intention to leave you all hanging this long however my health has not been up to par as of late and I have been in and out of hospital/ doctor's offices for various medical tests and treatments since my last posting. Between dealing with this, along with the effects of the various medications, bed rest and real life, my writing (both fanfiction and original stories) have been pushed to the sidelines. With that in mind, I hope that this chapter has lived up to your expectations. I had planned to get through the entire Hermione/Voldemort segment during this chapter but to do so would have kept you all waiting for at least another month.

Many, many thanks to my outstanding beta, OzRatbag2, for her wonderful suggestions and work in making certain this chapter is readable. She has also been under the weather lately and still managed to return this chapter at record speed.

Last but definitely not least, my thanks to all of you who have reviewed and sent emails in support of this story. Rest assured that I plan to finish the story but it may be at a slower pace than what I am accustomed to with most of my stories.

Jules


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Not now…not ever. Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company. Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

**A Tense Situation**

Chapter Nineteen

Turning questioning eyes to Voldemort, the perplexed Potions Master was surprised to witness the beginning of a truly hideous smile as it erupted over the twisted features of his Master's face. Watching silently, Snape followed the path of the Dark Lord's eyes until they came to rest on the crouched figure of a heavily panting, not to mention wide-eyed, Malfoy Sr. Whether the blond haired man was panting as a result of his previous bout of Crucio or the fear of having nearly been killed by the very same man he had attempted to expose, Severus had no idea but quickly decided that the experience was unusual enough to be memorable at least.

'Why did he stop me?' the Potions Master mused as his gaze continued to rest on Lucius' quivering form. It was a question he would have loved to simply ask outright but knew from past experience that following through with such a course of action would serve no purpose aside from landing him hexed and writhing in agony in the dirt next to Lucius. Exhibiting the patience he had come to be known for throughout the years, Snape wisely held a reign over both his curiosity and his tongue while awaiting the answer he knew would be forthcoming in due time. It was simply a matter of waiting until Voldemort condescended to let him and everyone else in on the joke.

"No doubt you are wondering why I have confiscated your wand and stopped you from following through with your assignment," the Dark Lord hissed, his snake-like speech adding an unnatural emphasis on the final word and thereby drawing it out in such a way that it reverberated throughout the group with a ghostly echo.

"Yes, My Lord," Snape answered, his head bowed in respectful submission. Although he didn't mind being stopped from adding yet another death to his conscience, he was uncomfortable with the fact that he was no longer in possession of his wand. And whilst he was unusually proficient at wandless magic, the Potions Master entertained little doubt that his talents in the area were advanced enough to allow him to escape the wrath of Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters unharmed should the need arise.

'Perhaps he actually did discover my true allegiance while rifling through the girl's mind and has been toying with me all this time?' he wondered silently as the instinct to flee bore down upon his body like a ton of bricks.

Trying not to appear overly anxious as visions of his dismembered head being paraded about the group at the tip of a bloodied pike played out before his obsidian eyes like a bad movie, he stood silently as a mixture of anticipation and dread entwined around his emotions.

'It's a fine spot you've got yourself in now,' the all too familiar, and completely uninvited voice, which Severus now seriously suspected was a twisted form of what was left of his conscience, whispered maliciously. 'You can't see the Granger girl, the Dark Lord has your wand, and if you so much as reach for that portkey then he'll be upon you faster than you can say Avada Kedavra.'

The fact that the voice was correct did absolutely nothing to allay his current state of nerves.

A crook of the Dark Lord's skeletal like finger drew his attention back into focus and Snape was surprised to see the mysterious robe clad figure hesitantly move forward and come to a standstill directly before him. Seconds later, following an undisguised look of pure loathing toward the figure, Voldemort turned his attention upon the Potions Master and returned his well-worn wand with the air of a person bestowing a great favor upon a lesser being.

"Lucius is mine to deal with as I see fit," the creature hissed in a tone of voice that had several of the nearby Death Eaters hurriedly taking what they hoped to be unobtrusive steps closer toward the back of the gathering. A sharply drawn breath from Lucius Malfoy left the Potions Master with little doubt that his one time friend had understood the thinly veiled threat behind Voldemort's words. Strangely enough, the knowledge that the blond haired wizard who had plotted to destroy him would more than likely reap what he had so diligently sown gave Severus no pleasure in the least. It was as if a feeling of numbness had taken over his emotions where the older Malfoy was concerned. And whilst he didn't take any joy from Lucius' current plight, Severus found himself strangely unmoved to speak up on the blond haired man's behalf in an attempt to spare him some of the Dark Lord's wrath.

"And now, look upon your true enemy, Severus," Voldemort decreed and with a flick of his wrist, the hood covering the face of the mysterious informant dropped and a mass of long red curls with just the slightest touch of grey cascaded down thin shoulders as the gathered Death Eaters looked on with undisguised curiosity.

Hermione, who had just begun to roll her eyes at the theatrical way in which the Dark Lord carried on, found it impossible to stifle the gasp that forced its way from her mouth. Her highly acclaimed mind simply refused to believe the message her eyes were sending to it as she looked on in complete astonishment at the figure which was now revealed before them.

"Amelia Bones?" Draco whispered softly, shocked to his core that the woman who was heralded to be such an upstanding citizen and Ministry employee had turned her back on the Light and was now revealed as the Potion Master's accuser. How many times in the past had he heard his father curse this same woman's name because she refused to accept any of his artfully offered bribes over various Ministry matters? What on earth could he have offered or threatened her with to make the seemingly unbendable witch join forces with him?

"That can't be possible," Hermione whispered brokenly, her face a mask of horror and disbelief. Momentarily forgetting her own dire circumstances, the young Gryffindor made as if to move forward to confront the woman that stood silent and terrified at the front of the group.

It was the soft tug on her arm that drew Hermione's attention to the Death Eater next to her as he held fast to prevent her from heading forward and drawing further attention to herself.

"For once in your life play it smart, Granger, before you make matters worse than they already are," Draco whispered fiercely between clenched teeth. The last thing he needed was for her to go charging about with her high handed Gryffindor morals and landing herself in more trouble than she was already in. And Draco had to admit that the irritating girl was in just about as much trouble as a person could be in at this point. She needed to stay quiet while things played out so that the Dark Lord would temporarily forget about her in the hopes that his Head of House could use the additional time to figure a way out of this mess. Although if there really was a way out of this particular mess then Draco certainly couldn't see it! Still… stranger things had been known to happen and the blond Slytherin had learned long ago to count nothing out of the realm of possibility.

"Oh just shut up, Malfoy," she whispered back just as fiercely, still unaware of the dual role the young Slytherin was playing. "If you think I'm going to just stand here and play the meek little victim all night long and make you look good in the eyes of that menace you call 'Master' then you can just think again!"

For a very brief moment Draco felt something akin to sympathy for Harry and Ron and wondered how they had managed to put up with such a bossy witch for so long. He bit back the retort he would have made had they been housed within the safety of Hogwarts and reminded himself of his true purpose in attending the revel. A quick mental count to ten in English, French and Latin did little to bring his breathing, not to mention his temper, back under control but it helped even if only slightly. Yet again he mentally cursed his father for placing him in the midst of such a situation.

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Oblivious to the battle of wills being waged between Draco and Hermione, Severus was trying desperately to process this new turn of events that had been thrust upon him. Amelia Bones had held a respectable position within the Ministry of Magic since she had left Hogwarts so many years ago and never once could he recall an instance in which her character had been called into question. So what means of threat or bribery had Lucius employed to make her act so out of character? She had never been known to accept monetary bribes and Severus knew for a fact that her person had been threatened more than once in the past during difficult cases involving various misdeeds of several known Death Eaters.

He turned an expressionless gaze upon the quivering woman who stared back at him with tears in her eyes. And though she couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind his mask, she still made a point of looking him straight in the eye and whispering what looked to be an apology. It was that one simple action that made the Potions Master all the more determined to discover the reason behind her deception.

"Legilimens," he intoned in but a breath of a whisper, holding her blue eyed gaze captive within his own. Seconds later he was sorting through the barrage of recent memories that came pummeling at him in rapid succession. Memories of Lucius in her cramped office at the Ministry as the blond wizard picked up a picture of her niece and murmured several words that made the woman's complexion turn white as a sheet. More memories of him visiting her home in the middle of the night where he had practically threatened to bring that very same niece to the attention of the Dark Lord if she failed to cooperate with his carefully laid out plans to entrap and dispose of Severus. Memories of the shame she felt for betraying her own morals as she reported to Lucius and the Dark Lord. Memories of visiting Hogwarts and her niece during a Quidditch match as the young girl stood within the embrace of Harry Potter surrounded by Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

'_Of course,'_ he murmured to himself as he broke the connection to her mind, _'it always boils down to Potter.'_ It was now more than obvious to Snape that Madame Bones had complied with Lucius' demands in an attempt to keep her niece safe from harm. Lucius had used the one thing the woman held dear; her attachment to her niece, Susan Bones, who was currently dating none other than The Great Harry Potter himself. A flash of pity and understanding flowed through the Potions Master and he held the frightened woman's gaze for a second longer as if willing her to accept the fact that he understood her motives and even, on some level, forgave her such actions.

"Well, Severus, do you have nothing to say to this filth that would falsely accuse you of being a traitor to your brethren?" Voldemort demanded. The fury emanating from his blood red eyes as he gazed hatefully upon the witch in question was more than enough to let all present know what he thought of those who would dare deceive him.

"I have nothing worth saying to such a creature, My Lord," Snape responded carefully, regretfully knowing that his need to continue playing the part of a devoted Death Eater would most likely end in this woman's death. "I am merely thankful that, in your unfailing wisdom, you were able to detect her treachery and see the truth behind such tales."

"Ah, Severus, you have always had a gift for eloquent speech," the reptilian hissed. But even though Snape had appealed to the Dark Lord's vanity, he still knew enough to be wary of such seemingly innocent compliments. Past experience had seen many of his fellow Death Eaters relax their guard as a result of such words of praise only to be hit immediately with Crucio: Or worse… Avada Kedavra.

Keeping such thoughts in mind, the Potions Master inclined his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement of such 'praise' and spoke the most benign and gracious words that he could devise given his current predicament: "I only speak the truth, My Lord."

"See that you continue to do so," Voldemort hissed, eyeing the dark haired Slytherin speculatively. "And now, my _'devoted'_ servant, you will prove to me once and for all where your loyalties lie by disposing of this rubbish so that we may move on to other, more _pleasant,_ matters."

And with a sharp thrust, Amelia Bones was thrown to her knees to await her final moments at the hands of the man she had accused of being a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. A trail of tears coursed down her cheeks as she thought of the lives that would be lost at the whim of the maniacal creature that had so nonchalantly ordered her death. Hermione Granger didn't deserve to die for such an unrighteous cause but Amelia knew there was very little chance that the young woman would escape with her life. Oh she knew in her heart that Severus Snape was not of the same meager and sadistic caliber of wizard as those who stood by watching eagerly for the final curse that would strike the breath from her body, but she also knew there would be nothing that he could do if he were to maintain his position within the Order. Her only other regret was that she would not get to explain to her niece why she had chosen such a path or ensure that her younger relative would remain unharmed due to her association with Harry Potter. Taking a final determined breath, the witch squared her shoulders and tilted her chin defiantly as she gazed at the masked face of Severus Snape and waited for him to complete his odious task.

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"It's been too long," Harry announced, haphazardly tossing his disgruntled chessmen into the felt lined drawer that rested underneath the chessboard. "We've played how many games while we've sat here waiting to hear something…. Anything… about Hermione, and where has it got us? No where!"

"Hey!" Ron shouted, glaring at one of Harry's angry chess pieces as it waved its shield in a menacing manner toward anyone who would pay the slightest bit of attention to its complaints. "Where do you think you're going? McGonagall told us to stay here until Snape and Hermione got back and that's what we need to be doing right now. It isn't going to help if McGonagall or Dumbledore come to tell us they got back to the castle and they can't find us because we're out roaming the castle!"

"But this is Hermione we're talking about, Ron!" Harry pleaded, pulling a folded piece of parchment from his back pocket. "We can't just sit here playing chess and doing nothing!"

"So what should we do then, Harry?" Ron asked, though his question was more of a rhetorical nature than a sincere plea for direction. Perhaps if he could keep his friend talking then he could distract him from leaving the Common Room. Although the red headed young man had to admit, if only to himself, that such a scenario had about as much chance of happening as Snape awarding points to Gryffindor.

"We go to Dumbledore and demand answers," Harry declared, his mouth set in a determined line that spoke of determination and a touch of desperation. "And if that doesn't work then we stay with him until he hears back from Snape."

"Do you really think that's going to help Hermione all that much?" Ron asked skeptically.

"No," the darker haired young man answered with a ragged sigh. "But it will help me to feel more involved than sitting here playing chess."

A doubtful lift of his brows and a twist of his lips was the only answer Harry received from his long-time friend as they made their way through the aged door of the Gryffindor Common Room towards the Headmaster's office.

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The Potion's Master cursed silently as his agile mind quickly took in the desperate reality of the situation before him. He would have no choice but to kill the witch kneeling before him unless he wished to lose the all too tentative trust the Dark Lord was placing in him. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that the killing of the woman was nothing more than another test designed to probe the bounds of his commitment to his brethren and to Voldemort himself. After all, the Dark Lord had all but confirmed such suspicions mere moments before. Should he fail such a test then his own life would be immediately forfeit along with that of the woman kneeling before him and, subsequently, Miss Granger's life as well. He bit back the string of curses begging to escape his lips on his next gusty exhalation and raised his wand, blocking out all but the most negative of emotions so that he might summon up the necessary energy that would carry forth the deadly power of the most unforgivable of all curses.

"Avada Kedavra!" he muttered disdainfully whilst what was left of the humanitarian part of his personality raged in protest at the senseless loss of life now withering before him. It took but the briefest of moments for the deadly green beam to reach Amelia Bones and even less time for her eyes to succumb to the unseeing glaze that accompanied such a curse; it was proof positive that the woman's death had been a result of anything other than natural causes.

A round of cheers and laughter rang out from the assembled Death Eaters and the satisfaction of the woman's death could be felt in waves as it emanated from the Dark Lord to all that followed his command.

Seizing the only opportunity he could find, Draco pulled Hermione further away from the otherwise occupied attentions of the blood thirsty Death Eaters and hissed a scared but determined directive intended for her ears alone.

"Quick, Granger, hit me and run toward those trees as fast as you can. Don't hesitate, and whatever you do just keep running."

Hermione turned unbelieving eyes on Draco, her mouth hanging open in what could only be described as a less than attractive gaping expression that reminded the blond Slytherin of the funny orange fish his mother had acquired for him from the Pet Emporium when he was barely out of infancy.

'_Funny, the fish never seemed to listen to me either,'_ he thought exasperatedly, trying to unobtrusively push the bushy haired Gryffindor closer to the patch of trees he had just pointed out. He could sense the momentary reluctance in the young witch as she quickly weighed her options. The briefest of glances toward Amelia Bone's lifeless body assured her as nothing else could that the older woman couldn't be saved. A brief thought of further treachery on Draco's part crossed her mind and the unsettling possibility that this could yet be another sorry prank skimmed along the surface of her thoughts.

"Look, Granger, we can stand here all night until they decide to turn their attentions toward you, which should be any moment now, or you can listen to me for once in your pathetic life and make a run for it," Draco whispered urgently, uncomfortably aware that precious seconds were ticking away. "But if you're going to make a break for it then hit me NOW and go!"

'_An invitation like that won't come along more than once in a lifetime,'_ her mind whispered derisively as she quickly took in one final look at her surroundings. Realizing she probably wasn't going to get a better chance to make a break for it, she turned to her childhood nemesis with a grim but resolute smile.

"If you insist," she muttered, pulling her right hand back and letting it fly forcefully forward to connect with his stomach while simultaneously kneeing him in the groin. She barely had time to register his pained surprise before she found herself running toward the small copse of trees, all the while tugging the hidden wand from its hiding place and mentally running through the defensive spells she had learned over the previous years in the hopes that they would aid in her escape.

She didn't have time to savor the experience of decking Draco yet again or even smiling at how his body had crumpled when her knee connected with the more sensitive parts of his anatomy. Instead, her small feet were running as fast as they could carry her. Several times she nearly tripped over exposed roots and jagged rocks that hampered her way, but she kept her attention focused solely on her goal. She WOULD make those trees no matter what. How she would find her way to safety without the aid of apparition or a portkey she knew not, but at least the trees would provide some cover and a better defensive position to start tossing out hexes at the Death Eaters she knew would be pursuing her any moment.

No sooner than the thought entered her mind, Hermione felt the force of the first hex speed by her, just inches away from her shoulder. The ominous crack from one of the tree trunks and its subsequent splintering of bark in all directions told her that Voldemort's minions were playing for keeps.

"I swear if I ever get out of this alive that I'm going to kill Pansy for taking my bracelet!" she muttered through gritted teeth, reaching the small copse of trees and ducking yet another hex which landed on a nearby rock with a spray of bright blue light.

"Come to think of it, I'm going to kill her even if I do die," she exclaimed, ducking behind one of the larger tree trunks and shooting off a volley of her own hexes and curses toward the mass of black clad robed figures hurrying her way. "Just think of all the stress I can cause her if I'm a ghost! Peeve's antics will look like mere child's play by the time I'm finished with her!"

Another round of hexes was fired at her in rapid succession from several of the Death Eaters. They were so much closer now and even though she had managed to knock a few of them unconscious and disarm a few more, the young Gryffindor wasn't foolish enough to believe she really had a chance of escaping them all. Her thoughts were proved correct when a red band of light connected squarely with her shoulder, knocking her wand out of her hand and sending it flying somewhere behind her. Numbness quickly spread through her shoulder to her neck and down her arm through her hand and fingers. A cry of dismay escaped her lips as she swiftly realized she had been hit with one of the more potent paralysis hexes. Not deadly, but it would certainly leave her temporarily paralyzed, unconscious, and thoroughly helpless. She felt the magic of the spell tingle and swirl throughout her body as blackness began to cloud her vision. She heard the triumphant shouts of the band of Death Eaters and Voldemort's crackling voice ring out through the blood thirsty crowd demanding that she be brought before him.

A movement in the air caught her attention and she used every bit of willpower she had to focus on it. The small dark flying object loomed into view and seemed to touch her shoulder ever so lightly. Hermione realized that it was a black bat and for a moment she thought she must be hallucinating as bats weren't common for this hour of the evening or even this particular area of the country. Suddenly, she was falling toward the ground as the paralysis hex spread down her legs. At the last possible second, just as two of the Death Eaters were within mere feet of reaching her, she felt a movement just behind her head and instinctively knew it was the little black bat.

'_I must really be losing it if I'm dreaming up bats to save me,'_ she thought with no small amount of derision, wondering what Freud would make of such a thing.

"Relax, Miss Granger," a deep, familiar baritone voice whispered in her ear and she felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder where the talons of the bat had been just seconds before.

Understanding dawned as she felt the tug at her navel indicating the use of a portkey. Professor Snape was an Animagus and had come to save her after all!

'_Merlin! Harry and Ron were right… He really is the bat of the dungeons!'_

It was the last thought she had before giving in to the black pull of unconsciousness.

TBC


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